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The Rise of Self-Love | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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If you have your Bibles this morning, please meet me in the
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second letter to Timothy in chapter 3.
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Beginning in verse 1. Second Timothy chapter 3
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beginning in verse 1. We read here.
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But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times
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of difficulty for people. Will be lovers of self.
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Lovers of money proud, arrogant, abusive disobedient to their
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parents ungrateful, Unholy heartless, unappeasable
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slanderous without self-control brutal.
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Not loving good. Treacherous.
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Reckless Swollen with conceit lovers of pleasure rather than
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lovers of God having the appearance of godliness.
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But denying its power avoid such people, let's pray, Lord, we
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thank you for this afternoon again.
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And now Lord, as we open your word, your word, which stands
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forever your word, though, the grass May wither.
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And though, the flower May Fail, your word will endure.
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Forever. And we come to receive what you
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have to say. And we ask for the spirit of
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wisdom and Revelation to assist the ministry of the word.
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This afternoon, Lord, we ask that our hearts would be open
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that our minds like the disciples would have the
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understanding to comprehend the mind of Christ.
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And so, Lord, in this moment, we pray, Let Your Presence be known
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that your word be received and let it melt into our character
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for your glory. In Jesus name, we pray.
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Amen. I trust this afternoon that you
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are fully convinced about the character of God, and every way
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that the scripture describes him and especially in his deep
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compassion, The Compassion of God, who Longs for those who
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have been separated from him because of sin to be reconciled
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back to him, And so great, is this compassion that stirs in
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the heart of God that it is not limited to those who are merely
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in sin, it is even extended to those who deliberately teach
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falsehood. That may sound shocking to us
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who believe that those who are deceivers, are not worthy of
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Grace, but last week's message was a testament to that truth.
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That God, in fact Longs for those who are even in falsehood
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and are propagating deception to come to the knowledge of Truth
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and be liberated from the grip of Satan.
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And this passion is so great in the heart of God, that he even
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instructs us as the redeemed of how to be conned.
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It's so that we can offer that opportunity to those who are in
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that deception to come to Salvation in Jesus Christ.
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And that's what he taught Timothy about how to be a soul
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winner, and the versus last week, we're also means to
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encourage the faithful Soul winner to stir your heart with
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with trust that it's possible for even the most unlikely and
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undeserving to actually be saved to actually come to Christ and
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be transformed. Even those who are doing damage
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to the kingdom of God, who are trying to relinquish the
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Christian message even there. Like Paul can come to saving
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faith. And now we read after Paul aims
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to awaken this righteous optimism in Timothy, he also
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wants to bring a balance and he wants to bring another word.
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Another word that would prepare him as a soul winner, as a
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pastor of a church of the difficult times that lie ahead
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for the world. and for Christians, And the subject was
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so important for Paul the subject of the end times was so
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crucial for this apostle that he designates a portion of his
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final letter to expound on it. Why is it that Timothy needs to
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know what he just said? Why is it that the believer must
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know what times will be headed towards?
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What kind of implications is that carry for us even now?
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Well, there are many, but for the sake of the context, let us
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consider a few number. 1, Timothy would have to understand
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that, although, he would have a hope for people to come to
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Christ this endeavor to preach. The gospel will not be void of
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great opposition. Will not be void of difficult
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times. Secondly, Timothy would also
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need to regain a fresh passion for defending the truth, because
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he would Now find out and learn the demoralizing effects of
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false teaching and vein ideologies.
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And so as a pastor by hearing what, we just read this morning,
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he would find this strength and this motivation to be even more
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serious about truth preaching. It proving it defending it.
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And lastly, those three last words of our designated taxed,
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Paul says, you need to avoid such people in other words,
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after he describes, the people that the attitudes, the
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characters that will characterize the final days
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before the return of Christ. Timothy and Believers today,
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would need to make an extra effort to make sure that they
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are not contaminated by this crowd.
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And so he says understand this, you need to understand this and
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here's the question. What was it that led Paul to
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transition in this thought, how did he go from what we've been
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covering the past few weeks, to now offer a sudden introducing a
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subject concerning the latter times?
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What's not? Because he just merely bringing
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up something fresh in his letter, it's because there is a
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connection to what Paul has been teaching and to what he is
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warning about here, remember you?
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And I over the past few weeks I've been hearing about things
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such as the dangers of false teaching the necessity to
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rightly handle the word of Truth.
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The corruption that can come from irreverent Babble.
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And even last week, the Rope of hope that we should extend to
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those who are in the pit of And the overarching theme is the
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necessity to be in truth. The necessity to avoid falsehood
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and all for sudden. Now he comes in, he speaks about
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the end times, he speaks about not just the end times but he
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speaks about the people that will pollute the generations
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before the return of Christ. And the reason why this is a
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connection is because the times of difficulties will stem from
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what he has been saying over the past few weeks accelerating.
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Abandonment and rejection of the truth.
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The reason why X will be Wicked and pervert and difficult is
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because there will be a rejection of the gospel and an
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alarming rate and the scriptures testify this elsewhere.
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If you turn to First Timothy 4:1, your read that Paul appeals
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to the spirit and he says that the spirit testifies of the
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later times and it says here in verse One of chapter 4.
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Now the spirit expressly says that in later times some will
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depart from the Faith by devoting themselves to deceitful
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spirits and teachings of demons. So he's saying, even hear what
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the scripture says from cover to cover that there is a strong
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relationship. There is a marriage between
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false teaching and ungodliness Jesus himself in his own
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discourse about the end time says that there will be many
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false prophets will arise and Lead.
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Many astray only to follow that statement by saying and because
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lawlessness will increase False prophets will arise.
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And because false prophets will arise.
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So, we'll lawlessness. And this helps us understand
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this list of Unholy characteristics in our text this
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morning that will Define the last days.
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It is because it will stem from a growing desertion from True
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Doctrine and a growing appetite. For vein ideologies, that will
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be found within and outside of the church.
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If the pure truth sanctifies man then it is a distortion of
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truth, that warps him. That is what we are going to
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see. But I can imagine after reading
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this that there might be some skepticism.
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There might be some honest doubt because we look at this and we
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read understand this that in the last days there will come times
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of difficulty. But you're fully aware that the
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Earth is not unfamiliar with grief and toil.
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So, what's so prophetic about this?
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What's so profound about? The thought that in the last
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days, there will come times of difficulty.
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We've seen times with our history, books testified that
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ever since the Rebellion at the Garden, we have seen craziness
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and Rebellion. It's later on in this chapter
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that we see the uniqueness of this Revelation.
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So you're there in Chapter 3 of second Timothy, scroll down to
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verse 13 and then we will understand what Paul is saying
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verse 13 says, while evil people, and Impostors Will Go On
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from bad to worse. Deceiving and being deceived
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there. It is from bad to worse.
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Meaning, as we approach the culmination of the age, there
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will be an escalation and amplification of ungodliness.
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It's not that Paul is saying these things have never been, so
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he's not saying that the world hasn't seen these things that he
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just described what he's saying is is that it will intensify.
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It will come to a point where it will drown a generation and what
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is good will be evil and what is evil be known as good.
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In fact, I was reading Romans this week and I saw an
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interesting phrase of Paul separate list of ungodly
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characteristics and he says something about the people who
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have abandoned God and what society looks like, because of
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that abandonment and he says people will be and he lists
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different things and there is something that stood out to me
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and it was this, they will be Enters of evil.
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They will be creative and finding new ways. of
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entertaining their sin, there will be greater thoughts about
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Unholy unspeakable, unfathomable filth, That will dominate our
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world and so keep this in mind as you read these list.
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Paul is speaking about a strengthening and a spreading of
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a level of degradation that we've never seen before.
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And so, then people will not just be lovers of money.
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They're going to be more in love with money than ever before.
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People will not just be arrogant, they're going to be
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more arrogant than ever before. People will not just be
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disobedient to their parents. They will be more disobedient
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than you can even imagine. The way we're going to handle
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this subject today is to lightly touch on each of these signs and
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perhaps we won't even get past the first one.
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Just Like A Flat Rock. Skipping over a flatbed of
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water, we're just going to kiss each of these things if time
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permits and see how these things that will dominate our world are
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in direct opposition to the world that God Longs for and the
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world that Christ will bring in an usher.
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And when he establishes his kingdom at his second
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retirement, Turn and here's the application.
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If you need one in light of this text, that if it is told to us
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that there will be an increase among the unregenerate in their
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darkness and under despicable practices, then by the grace of
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God, may we match that Darkness with a greater light. it may be
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by the power of the Holy Spirit overwhelm, whatever part that
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God has given us in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces
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and our families to outshine the darkness And so we read here,
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understand this that in the last days there will come times of
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difficulty and inverse to the first thing that Paul lists is
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that they will be lovers of self.
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Lovers of self. This is by Divine Design for
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Paul by the spirit to include this.
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As the first thing on the list implies something very, very
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crucial. Concerning what it means to be a
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lover of self. He places this first because
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South love is the swamp that every other feature of sin swims
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in it is the foundation that many iniquities are built on.
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In fact, Christ himself knew this And because she knew this,
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he attacked this human disposition as the basic
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condition for discipleship when he said, deny yourself deny
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yourself. Because he knew that everything
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flows from the sewage of loving self.
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Self-love is not equal to self-respect is self-love is not
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equal to self-care self-love is about the elevation of one's
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own, desires, and wants as a supreme motivation in one's
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life. Self-love is the frame of mind.
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That places me at the center me is the main concern in my
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decisions and in my desires, even to the point of dismissing,
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the rights of my fellow, man and diminishing the rightful place
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of God as a Supreme object of my affection and devotion.
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If self-denial is the basis. For righteousness, and Holiness
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to flourish in a way that would bless others.
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Then surely self-love breeds a series of corrupting sins.
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That brings so much pain in so many ways.
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I want you to see an example of that from the Old Testament,
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meet me in the book of second. Samuel chapter, 16, scuse me,
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23:16 second Samuel, 23:16. Here is a interesting snippet in
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David's life, David is here in a cave.
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He's hiding and he has a band of Mighty Men by his side.
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And in this chapter, we get a description of not just those 30
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Mighty Men, but even among the 30, there was three special
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Elite officers and the Holy Spirit makes a distinction about
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why these three men were the three Mighty Men, among the 330,
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Mighty Men and David at one point.
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He expresses a desire. He begins to feel homesick.
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He gets nostalgic. He says, oh that I would have a
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drink from the well that is at Bethlehem.
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He didn't make it a command, he didn't ask the Mighty Men to go.
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Bethlehem was under siege Bethlehem, there was a Garrison
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of the Philistines. There are troops of the enemy
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that were there, but David offers sudden, just peeped out
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this longing to have a cold glass of water.
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Perhaps remembering when he was a Shepherd boy, he would scoop
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he would scoop from that. Well when he was thirsty, as he
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served his father's Farm, The three hear it.
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They don't even ask. They go undercover.
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They go in stealth mode and they begin to.
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Now, travel to Bethlehem and who knows how they did it, but they
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grabbed water in a jar and they come back to David.
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And there's David probably sitting there reminiscing about
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all the memories of those innocent days.
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As a Shepherd boy and the three Mighty Men approached him and
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they say, here's your water. And he shocked.
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And he's there in verse 16, then the three Mighty Men broke
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through the camp of the Philistines and Drew water out
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of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried it
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and brought it to David, but he would not drink of it.
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Perhaps they're ready to put it at his mouth, he stops himself,
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but he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord.
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And said, in verse 17, far be it from me.
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Oh, Lord. That I should do this.
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Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at risk of their
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lives. Therefore, he would not drink
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it. These things, the three Mighty
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Men did. It's an example of David who's a
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picture of Christ and what makes a Mighty, Man, a mighty man of
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God, is that he's willing to do the little things.
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Christ, he's willing to serve not just like the 30 mighty man
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might have done defeating great armies and Giants know even when
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the King asks for a glass of water you're willing to risk
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your life to give him a glass of water.
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But notice what David does here, what a picture of selflessness,
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what a picture of consideration, what a picture of self-denial.
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This man here could have simply drank the water.
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Gulped it down and extended his gratitude to these others who
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have risked their lives for him to be satisfied in this way.
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But right here, we read that after he had realized how they
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have jeopardized their lives for the sake of him, fulfilling the
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small desire, he would not dare quench his nostalgia.
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Jake Hart at their expense. David at this moment was more
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concerned about their well-being than about his wish being
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satisfied and he refused to drink it.
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That's a picture of what self-denial looks like.
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It does not put others at risk of harm of danger of pain to
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gratify yourself self-denial. Looks like when you have desires
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and plans and even when you were experiencing, these wishes, you
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are able to manage all things because you are mindful of all
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people. You're not thinking about me,
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you're thinking about those are who are affected by your
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decisions, those who might be robbed of their rights.
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Do you want to satisfy your own? And somebody made a brilliant
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observation in light of this text.
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And here it is. If only David had applied the
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same principle that we just read here when he was consumed with
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longing for Bathsheba. if only he had applied the same
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conviction years before when he was on that rooftop, And his
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heart began to thirst for a woman that did not belong to
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him. and it was in that time, if this is a picture of
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self-denial, David on that rooftop is a picture of
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self-love, because in that moment, he did not think about
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Uriah He did not say to himself, Uriah will be hurt by this.
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My reputation as a king, as a righteous man, as a psalmist,
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will be affected by this. All he wanted in that moment was
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to quench that list. And so great.
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Was that self-love that he was willing to even step on Uriah To
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cover his sin because that's what self-love looks like.
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I have to kill this man, because my reputation is more important
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than his life. all David, if only you had applied that same
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principle with that glass of water, when you were faced with
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that, lust that try to consume you.
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That is just one illustration of what it's going to look like.
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In the last days when Paul says that they will be lovers of
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self. That is just the foundation and
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you can imagine what will Spring forth.
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Let me say it this way. You're going to see much more
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adultery than we've ever seen. You're going to see much more
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murder lying cheating corruption hypocrisy.
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Because self-love is the mother that births and nurtures.
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All these other vices and there is no doubt that the prediction
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of people being lovers of self is not far-fetched from our
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experience today in society, Self-love is on the rise.
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It's on the rise and it's everywhere.
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You look everything from the seemingly.
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Innocent selfie culture that has given every human being an
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invitation to have a platform for everybody to praise you and
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adore you To the humanistic ideologies that are being taught
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in our schools that life revolves around you that there
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isn't a creator that you're held accountable to but your cousin
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is a monkey and you're just the outcome of some explosion and
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some happenstance and so survival of the fittest go out
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there and do what you desire and live according to your impulses.
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Unfortunately, this idea of self love is not only practice and
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praise. It is considered as a virtue.
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It's about you. It's about you.
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In fact, even in modern psychology and counseling, when
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people come to receive some kind of clarity about their
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behavioral patterns and their habits, most psychologists will
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blame everything around you and not you.
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It's about the way you grew up. It's about the trauma.
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And though, that might play a part in it.
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It's amazing. How we don't even want to, pin
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any responsibility on the individual anymore.
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Why? Because we want to make sure
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that people have self esteem. And self-worth.
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And self-love. This is in direct opposition to
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the message of the cross. Die to yourself, crucify.
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Your flesh. Take responsibility for your
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actions. Because if you blame everybody
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else for your sins, God can't forgive you.
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He'll forgive them if they repent.
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But he'll forgive you, once you acknowledge that, you played a
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part in whatever sin you think is caused by something or
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someone else. Here's the problem.
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This perverted view of self-love is having its way and christened
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them. I challenge you to just make a
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simple search of the most popular sermons today and read
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the titles alone and you will get an idea of what I am
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speaking about. It's a majority about winning
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the most views and attendances because they are all self-help.
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Concepts that provide motivation for the moment, but no
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transforming power from Christ. If the CERN correctly, if you
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really listen carefully, these talks are nothing more than
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skewed insights about how God is on your side to fulfill your
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dreams and your desires doesn't matter if they have to do with
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his kingdom. As long as it's yours, he will
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help you while totally neglecting the Declarations of
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the glories of Christ that compel us to submit to his
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lordship and live according to his His rule.
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Christ is a mentioned. If he's mentioned it's a
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footnote. And if he's mentioned there,
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it's for him to help you make more money, be more beautiful,
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be more successful. And just because people here
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versus or because there's a cross in the background, that's
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enough for them to eat it all up, not knowing that they are
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actually strengthening the self. Love that Christ wants to kill.
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In fact, you read this list here and it's amazing that Paul
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brings another listen, Romans 1, and I want you to turn there
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because I want you to see this afternoon.
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How morally shattering it is when Society whether it is
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secular or whether it is religious, how shattering it is
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when we place man in the place of God, When we make man, the
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center and said of God being the center and in Romans 1 29 to 31,
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we read in another list. That's very similar to what we
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have this morning in second. Timothy 3, Romans 129, they were
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filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil
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covetousness, malice, they are full of Envy murder Strife,
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deceit, maliciousness they are gossips slanderers haters of
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God. Insolent haughty, boastful,
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inventors of evil disobedient to parents, foolish faithless,
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heartless ruthless. It's very similar to what we
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read this morning and inverted verse 32.
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He adds although they knew God's righteous decrees.
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That those who do such things deserve to die.
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They not only practice some, but give approval to those who do
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him. It's another disturbing
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commentary about the corruption of mankind, but there's a flow
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of thought that led Paul to this text.
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There's a flow of thought that led him to list these things.
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And the idea is well, how is it that that man has steep to such
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Shameless sin? How is that man can come solo to
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accepting and praising things? That just 50 years ago, would be
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labeled as insanity. Do you know where it begins?
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Do you know where it all started?
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According to Romans 14, the to be unnatural relations between,
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man, and man, woman and woman for there to be debased Minds
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for there to be all these ugly things that we just read to be
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common and known and praised. Go back to verse 21 of the same
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chapter in Romans 1. This is where it all starts.
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This is where all starts for the individual.
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This is where all starts for a city is where all starts for a
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nation. This is where all starts for,
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although they knew God, They did not honor him as God.
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Or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking
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and their foolish Hearts were darkened.
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You understand what Paul is saying here, the two means the
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very two stumbling blocks that were the cause to all the things
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that you just heard plaguing. The general population is number
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one that there was a refusal to honor God as god notice.
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It says though they knew God. Though they knew God, there was
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an absence of belief in God. In fact, the verses before says
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that the glory of God, the Eternal power of God is made
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known through his creation. So God is there people.
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It's very difficult for you to deny that there is a God based
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on creational. Nevermind, special Revelation
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from his word creation itself, testifies of the glories of God.
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And though they knew God, though, their minds their
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conscious, their Inner, Man, They realize that there is a
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moral compass in my heart that there is intelligent design,
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though they knew God. It's not that the lack of the
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knowledge of God, cause these things, they knew him but they
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refused to honor him as God. They refused to play some where
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he belongs, where he is glorified, a magnified, and
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extolled, and adored and praised and given credit.
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For all these things that we enjoy and see on a daily basis.
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They refused to honor him as God.
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So, guess what? This morning?
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If you know that, there's a God, you can still be a vile sinner.
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You can have a knowledge that there is a God and you can even
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have verses that you would agree with my Bible tells me although
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they knew God. It's not the knowledge of God
29:01
necessary that's where it begins.
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Its what you do with that knowledge.
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So eat up all the sermons you want, you can still live in
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adultery, you can still be an unrepentant homosexual, you can
29:14
still be a thief, you can still be given over to murderous anger
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though. You know, that there is a God,
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the differentiating factor is that they did not honor him as
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God and not just honor him as God.
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Secondly, they reserve the recognition of him being the
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provider of all good. Things they did not give, thanks
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to God. Would it stir you for me to tell
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you that all those things that you read that we often go to
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when we tried to describe God's passive wrath with all the
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debauchery and the filth and the sexual looseness.
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Would you believe this morning that it all stems from a lack of
29:53
Thanksgiving? Of course, it does because
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there's a refusal acknowledging him and just because there is a
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people who refuse to worship God and place him at his rightful
30:07
place does not mean that they're not worshipping something else
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because they are you read in the same chapter that we read that
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they exchanged, the glory of God for the glory of creation and
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they worshiped images of beasts. And man just because you're not
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worshipping. God doesn't mean you're not a
30:25
worshiper. My friend.
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You might be worshipping yourself this morning.
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When the heart does not have God, as the center of its
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worship, when the heart does not have God as the object of its
30:40
deepest, gratitude, then that heart as we just read in verse
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21 will be darkened by futility and foolishness.
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That's the law. People are not out there because
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they have reached some intellectual Peak and they think
30:57
that believing in God is just barbaric and ancient.
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No. It's because they did not honor
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God as God. They refused to honor him and
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they refused to give thanks them.
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And that's why they are swimming in their own sin and are
31:10
drowning in it. I've talked to many atheist.
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I've lost count, and I've said this before, maybe somebody
31:18
needs to hear this morning and I can tell you this, that 99% of
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the time, after all the debates about dinosaurs and the Bible
31:24
written by man. Where did it all start from?
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Why is that all these things? I just said look, why don't we
31:29
just save ourselves two hours. And let's get just straight to
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the heart of the matter. What do you need to see to
31:34
believe? Come on.
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What do you need to see to believe?
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You know what I found in my years of speaking with atheist,
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I found that as much as they think that they are smart and
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Superior intellectually. When I asked him that question,
31:50
they seemed to stumble over the words.
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Well, I don't need to see anything and they scratch their
31:56
heads and sometimes they're paralyzed with their thoughts,
31:59
and I look at them, and I said, let me finish your sentence for
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you. You don't want there to be a
32:04
god. Because, you know, the moment
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that you acknowledge that there is a God that you will be held
32:09
morally accountable. So believe all the foolishness
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that you want and try to convince yourself and others.
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It's because you've reached and you believe in science and you
32:19
reach some kind of understanding that we don't have you love your
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sin. Only a few times I've met
32:26
somebody says, well I just need to see this and I knew they were
32:29
genuine. They refused to honor him as
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God. They refused to give, thanks to
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him. And then from that funnel, all
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of those things that we just read our reality in an outcome
32:40
of that heart posture. And we know this to be true for
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an unbelieving world. But let me shocked you even more
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today that is not just reserved for an unbelieving population
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that when a church a Ministry fails to keep honoring Christ.
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And Placing him at the center and when that church does not
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continue to recognize him as the main mission and purpose.
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It will invite unholiness in the midst of no time.
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Keep Christ in the center and you will draw in a holy people
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move Christ from the center. And that list that I just read,
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never mind the world, it will be here.
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In the last days, there will be times of difficulty because
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people will be lovers of self. That's going to be the
33:29
atmosphere and we're already seeing it.
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We're already feeling it. But have you ever wondered this
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morning Have you ever wondered today?
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What is it going to be? Like when Christ comes to rule
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and Reign? What will be the atmosphere?
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What will be in the air? What will we see in every
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direction? Oh and the Bible invites, you to
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study the word of God because it's sprinkled and different
33:53
portions of our text and you see in one place where it says that
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Jerusalem, where Christ will come physically to rule and
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Reign Jerusalem will be a joy and the people will be a
34:04
gladness and then we read them. Famous text in Isaiah that he
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will come with his government and to that government, there
34:11
will be no end and no end of Peace either.
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And another place we read that during that rain when Jesus
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comes and he plants those pierced feet on the Mount of
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Olives and he comes to have the pierced hand with a rule of an
34:28
iron scepter. There will be what no sound of
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weeping or cry of distress and that, that should cause us to
34:37
say, Maranatha, come Lord, Jesus, and have your way.
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And I'm telling you this that as we approach the end of times as
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we see these things amplify and magnify, so will that cry in our
34:49
souls, be more desperate than ever?
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Has that been your crying? The past year and a half?
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As I've been your crying the past two years with all the
34:59
craziness, one little invisible virus, cause the world to shut
35:03
down and we think we're sovereign.
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Maranatha. Come what will make it so
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contrasting to this that in the last days there will be times of
35:15
difficulty. Why?
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Why the difference? And I'm sure, you know, the
35:17
answer because Jesus Christ himself will come and Usher in
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his government. Free from corruption, free from
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pollution free from hypocrisy and we say, Amen to that, but
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There will also be something else that will contribute to it.
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There will be a collective effort by those who will be
35:37
living during that time when Jesus Will Rule and Reign for a
35:40
thousand years that will cause them to do something will cause
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them as they're compelled by his wisdom and his unfiltered power,
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and his might and his Justice. To make him be absolute focus of
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absolutely everything. And I want you to see that to be
36:01
true, as a prophecy is given by the prophet Zechariah, and the
36:04
last chapter, you have to see this for yourself.
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Zechariah 14, verse 20. After describing the second
36:11
coming of Jesus Christ in such a way that you would think that.
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It's it's in the Book of Revelation, the harmony of
36:17
scripture is Supernatural. We come to an interesting couple
36:22
of verses that will give us a snapshot of what life will look
36:28
like. When the last days come to an
36:32
end and Jesus comes to put it to an end by ruling and reigning
36:36
for a thousand years before the Eternal age comes.
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And look at the description, you thought you were just going to
36:44
float in a cloud for all eternity, right?
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And it's going to be foggy and you're gonna hear some music?
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No, no, no. Zechariah 14, verse 20, we read.
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Now, remember, this is not speaking about heaven.
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Let me just pause here. This is not speaking about
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heaven, okay, we're right now in the church age, we are still as
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a church winning and bringing in a harvest by the power of the
37:06
spirit through the gospel, then the tribulation period is going
37:09
to kick off for seven years. And at the end of Seven years
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Christ, will return. And that's not When Heaven
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comes. That's when he rules and Reigns
37:17
physically on the earth to fulfill his promises to David
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and Israel. Not because she favors a man or
37:23
a nation from all other nations because he's a promise, keeping
37:26
God and he made certain promises and they have yet to come to
37:30
pass and because he wants to declare his faithfulness to a
37:33
generation, he will make them come to pass.
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If that offends, you deal with it with him when he comes
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Zechariah 14, 20 we read. What the world will look like
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when Jesus Christ establishes his government on the earth and
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on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the
37:51
horses. Holy to the Lord, pause there.
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Scripture uses horses as a clear illustration and image of War.
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You use horses to go to war when a king would ride into a place
38:05
on a horse. And wore when he came on a
38:07
donkey meant peace, but here on the millennial Reign, the horses
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will but will not be used for war.
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They will actually be instruments of worship.
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So these vehicles that were used to be lined up, to have Nation
38:20
against Nation, will actually have bells on them.
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So every time you hear the horses galloping, and you're
38:25
going to look out, and you see that on those bells, those those
38:28
horses are actually part of the worship team.
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And they themselves are singing unto God with those bells as
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they Gallop along and the atmosphere of the glory of
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Christ on Earth. And the pots in the house of the
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Lord shall be as the Bulls before the altar.
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Now, look at this in verse 21 and every pot in Jerusalem and
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Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts.
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So that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil,
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the meat of the sacrifice in them.
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And there shall no longer be a traitor or Canaanite in the
38:59
house of the Lord of hosts on that day.
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There's a phrase that when I read this, it's so ministered to
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my heart because in verse 20, we read that as we read in the Old
39:10
Testament, there are vessels and instruments used for the worship
39:14
in the house of God, but when Christ comes to rule and Reign,
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he's not only going to sanctify specific vessels, in the house
39:22
of worship. We read in verse 21 and every
39:25
pot. In Jerusalem and Judah shall be
39:30
holy to the Lord of hosts. What does that mean that when
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Jesus comes to rule and Reign, there will be no separation
39:39
between secular and sacred. When Jesus Christ comes to rule
39:44
and Reign, even the most common thing will be Sanctified for
39:48
worship. Even something as insignificant
39:52
as your pot, as your glasses of water as your forks, and your
39:58
knives will be dedicated unto God and will be set apart for
40:04
his glory. In other words, if the last days
40:08
according to S to me, three will be smeared with self-love
40:12
self-focused self attention self-praise.
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When Jesus Christ comes to rule and Reign everywhere you look,
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you're going to see Jesus Christ.
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When you go do the dishes, Jesus Christ.
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When you go fill up your car with gas.
40:25
Jesus Christ. When you get dressed, everything
40:29
will have the imprint of God on it.
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So that wherever you look, you will see his Beauty.
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And you will see that he is Sovereign over everything.
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When he comes to rule and Reign, he will claim everything.
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Even your pots. Because all things have been
40:47
created through him and for him. And although this world is
40:50
trying to clutch onto land and buildings and names, and bank
40:55
accounts and weapons. When Christ comes, he will strip
41:00
them out of their hands like taking a toy out of a baby's
41:03
grip. And he will say it, belongs to
41:06
me. I noticed this.
41:09
What's the connection? Make it a study of yours to see
41:13
what your home is going to look like, what the world is going to
41:17
look like when Jesus Christ returns, Joy righteousness,
41:20
peace so much, peace, that the world isn't going to know what
41:23
to do with their weapons. You say, we got to turn this to
41:26
farming equipment, we're not using our tanks, we're not using
41:29
our AR-15s, we don't need this anymore.
41:32
And the question is, how, how is the world going to be like that
41:36
one? Yes, Jesus Christ is going to
41:38
rule and Reign, but two, because everybody will Jesus, the focus.
41:45
And we think this is a future reality and it is, but I've been
41:49
taught and you've been taught to pray.
41:51
Let Your Kingdom. Come On Earth, as it is in
41:55
heaven. In other words, you and I should
41:59
ask God to make what that Kingdom will look like a
42:02
present-day reality as much as possible.
42:05
Do you want to know how you can have joy?
42:07
Peace, no Wars and your family. You want to know how you can
42:10
have Harmony order Purity in our church.
42:14
Do what Zechariah says will be done, make everything about
42:18
Christ sanctify, everything unto Christ realize that your body
42:23
doesn't belong to you, realize that your money doesn't belong
42:25
to you. Realize that He is the center.
42:28
He is the one that we worship and adore and serve.
42:31
And when you do that, it's very difficult to have War.
42:35
It's very difficult to see self-love.
42:40
So you and I have to understand that, although the kingdom of
42:43
God, is a future reality, there is a present application,
42:46
because we have the kingdom of God raining in our hearts Christ
42:50
is King today. Not just when he returns, So,
42:53
what does that mean for you and me as the world increases in
42:56
self love you. And I must say, Lord, I sanctify
42:59
all things unto you, and I say it's wholly for you, it's
43:03
separated unto you my tongue, my thoughts, my hands, my feet, my
43:07
clothes, my resources, all yours.
43:10
And as the world is being eaten up by corruption because of
43:13
that, self-love, the church will grow, and greater power, and joy
43:18
in the Holy Spirit, and Harmony and unity, because we are
43:21
walking in the opposite spirit. That's the invitation today and
43:26
what a beautiful way to transition as we come to break
43:29
bread together. Declaring that Jesus Christ is
43:33
King declaring that with this one loaf, we are indeed one
43:37
declaring that. Yes.
43:38
His body has come and that there was a prepared frame for him so
43:43
that God would find the suitable sacrifice for our substitution.
43:47
But at the same time, we are one body.
43:50
We do not live according to self-love.
43:54
We let the love of Christ, compels us.
43:58
And when it compels us, each of us, then we will see the fruit
44:02
of the kingdom of God in our midst, even now, can we prepare
44:05
our hearts to Feast together? And when it compels us, each of
44:00
us, then we will see the fruit of the kingdom of God in our
44:03
midst, even now, can we prepare our hearts to Feast together?