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Praying For Gospel Boldness · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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where we finished reading.
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And this encompasses the prayer of those who at that time formed the church
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and were concerned, obviously, for the gospel and the advance of the gospel.
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The book of Acts is crucial for the church and every generation.
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It's not that we set it above any other book of scripture, any other part of scripture,
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but the book of Acts is the establishing of the church in the age of the Spirit,
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the age of the Holy Spirit, who came down at Pentecost
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in accordance with a promise given in the Old Testament scriptures.
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And because of that, it's a book that we need to come back to again and again
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to remind ourselves of what it means really to belong to the church of God,
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what it means to belong to a church that seeks to go out with the news of the gospel
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to the world in which God has placed them.
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Because this passage itself is a passage where we find such things as imprisonments,
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intimidation, persecution, threats, all of these things that were faced then
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and are faced now and are faced in every generation by the people of God
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as they seek to live faithful lives and commend Christ to the particular time of day
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that they themselves, the time of history that they themselves actually live in.
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And what it did for them here as they were facing such things,
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it actually fed into their prayers.
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And one of the things this passage tells us is that they drew from the Old Testament scriptures
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words which were very relevant, they found relevant,
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to that aid to these circumstances in which they found themselves here.
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Example, Psalm 2 here is quoted there in verses 25 and 26.
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Well, they went back to Psalm 2 and found in Psalm 2 a very apt description,
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a very relevant portion of God's word to apply to their own generation.
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And that, by the way, is a reminder to us that we don't have two testaments,
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as you were, in our Bibles that are cut off from each other.
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The one flows into the other as God revealed himself down through the ages
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as the one God to his one covenant people.
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There's no church in the Old Testament then cut off,
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and there's a new church in the New Testament.
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It is God's church, God's redeemed people, God's covenant people,
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all the way through history.
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But, of course, changes are effected by the likes of the coming of Christ himself
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and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
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to have the church now in the age of the Spirit,
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the age of fulfillment of all things following the death and resurrection of Christ himself.
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And Psalm 2 is relevant because it speaks about the antagonism against the Lord's people
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by the powers of the world, the political powers, even the religious powers of the world.
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And God's response to that is also set out in Psalm 2 and quoted here in these two verses.
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Now, verse 18, you first of all find orders given against gospel teaching.
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How relevant is that?
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Orders given against gospel teaching.
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As you see there in verse 18,
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the rulers called the people and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
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And that charge or that order against gospel teaching is really acting against the evidence.
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You know, one of the things that's really frustrating but understandable in the light of Scripture
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is that when you present the gospel, when you witness to the gospel,
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when you actually speak to people about their soul and about the Lord and about all that the gospel is,
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you'll find that so often they actually go against what evidence is provided by God,
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sometimes very clear evidence of his work.
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For example, verse 16 here,
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verse 16 speaks about the miracle done to the man who had been healed.
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So when they came in verse 14,
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seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,
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they had nothing to say in opposition,
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but then commanded them to leave the council they conferred,
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and they asked each other then,
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this is still the authorities,
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what shall we do with these men?
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For that a notable sign has been performed through them
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is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
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and we cannot deny it.
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And then, of course,
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instead of saying,
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well, let's consider this more,
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let's give this more of our attention,
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let's really just take this as possibly
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something that we might have to reckon with
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as true and important.
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Instead of that,
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in order that it spread no further among the people,
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let us warn them not to speak any more in this name.
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And that's the frustrating thing you find still,
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even today.
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And why Psalm 2,
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the likes of Psalm 2,
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is so important.
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Because Psalm 2 began,
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as you well know by these words,
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why do the people rage against God?
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Why such a thing
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in the experience of God's people?
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And as you look at Psalm 2
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and the way it proceeds,
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why do the nations rage?
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And the people's plot in vain,
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the kings of the earth set themselves,
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and the rulers take counsel together.
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And then the Psalm actually answers the question
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that's posed there by saying,
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let us burst their bonds apart
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and cast away their cords from us.
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In other words,
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they're combining forces against the Lord,
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but it's against especially
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the way in which the Lord has specific commands
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and precepts and rules
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and, in fact,
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his whole entire word.
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And that,
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why is this right through history?
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Why do the nations rage?
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Why do the people plot in vain?
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Why is there such antagonism today to the gospel?
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Why is there such opposition
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to the church preaching the gospel?
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Why is there some opposition
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even in parts of the wider church
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to the gospel truly being preached
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rather than what we heard already
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in prayer as a social message
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that really at the end of the day
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doesn't save anybody?
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Well, it's because they're plotting
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against the Lord
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and against his anointed.
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And if you go then
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to the passage in Acts we're looking at,
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why do the Gentiles rage
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and the people rage in vain,
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plot in vain?
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The rulers were gathered together
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against the Lord
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and against his anointed.
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And the word anointed there
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is literally the word Christ.
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That's what Christ means.
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To plot against the Lord
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and against his Christ.
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And that really is why
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today there's such an opposition
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still against the gospel.
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And it always will be that way
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as long as human beings
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stand in opposition to God.
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Because this is a gospel
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that calls them to repent.
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A gospel that calls them
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to turn from their way
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and seek the Lord.
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A gospel that calls upon people
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to leave the way of sin
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and turn into the ways of righteousness.
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And to look to the commands of God
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and to the promises of God
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and to the whole word of God.
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And of course that's something
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that we don't naturally like.
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And so we turn against it
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and find so, so many different ways
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in which that opposition
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and antagonism to the gospel
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is fed into our society
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from different streams of thought.
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And it's all to do with this
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plot against the Lord
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and against his anointed.
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Whether it's in terms of
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what happens in our schools,
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in our education system,
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in our universities and colleges,
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any place in our society
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that has any semblance
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of truth presented to it,
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you will always find this reaction
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on the part of sadly too many people.
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And of course,
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it says there in verse 25,
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why did the Gentiles rage
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on the people's plot
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in vain?
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Futility.
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And yet,
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it's something that people
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continue doing.
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And that again takes up,
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as it's taken up from Psalm number 2,
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reminds us of what God does
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in the face of all that.
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He that sits in heaven
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shall laugh.
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The Lord shall have them
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in derision.
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And of course,
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that doesn't mean
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that the Lord is just
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treating this lightly,
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that he's just having
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a laugh at them,
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that he just finds
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the whole thing very amusing.
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When it says there,
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the Lord laughs at all this,
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what it means is that
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he views all of these attempts
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as absolutely futile
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because his plan
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and his purpose
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is not going to be diverted.
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I mentioned this
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on the Lord's day.
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His plan is not
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in any way affected
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by the opposition
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of the world,
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even of the highest authorities
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in any particular generation.
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And his own plan,
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as you can see there
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from verse 28,
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it's interesting
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that it says there,
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when they prayed
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to the Lord,
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what they mentioned
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in prayer was
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that Herod
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and Pontius Pilate
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along with the Gentiles
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and the people of Israel
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lauded together
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and gathered
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to do whatever
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your hand
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and your plan
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had predestined
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to take place.
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You see,
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they're finding
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a measure of comfort
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in all of this.
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They began the prayer
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as sovereign Lord.
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They prayed to him
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as the sovereign Lord
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in verse 24.
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And because they prayed
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to him
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as the one they knew
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as the sovereign Lord,
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instead of actually
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coming now
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to say
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Herod and Pontius Pilate
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together with the Gentiles
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and the people of Israel
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were gathered
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to do what they
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themselves purposed
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against the Lord
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and against your anointed,
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that was the case
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but it's actually
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God's plan
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they're carrying out.
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to do whatever
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your hand
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and your plan
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had predestined
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to take place.
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And sometimes
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that's where
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we've got to find
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our refuge.
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Find our refuge
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there all the time.
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But there are
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many times
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when we can't
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ourselves
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get beyond
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a certain stage
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in our thinking
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and our conclusions
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and coming to
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a conclusion
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as to why
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things are
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as they are
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and how we
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go about
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dealing with it.
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And so we leave
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it with the Lord
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and say
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Sovereign Lord
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it's your plan.
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You're carrying
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out your purpose.
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We can't understand
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how all of these
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oppositions
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to your gospel
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fit into your plan
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but we know
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it's your plan.
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We would want
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to see them changed
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but they still
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go on unchanged.
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So Lord
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give us
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we pray
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to find ourselves
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taking refuge
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within your sovereignty.
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You know
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when I
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started
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what seems
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many years
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ago now
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in the ministry
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the ministry
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we hadn't back
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the late
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Murdo McCauley
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he was still
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then in active
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ministry
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not in a
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congregation
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but he was
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still preaching
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and I was
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speaking to him
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one day
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and he said
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I'm just going
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to say this
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to you
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he said
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I could say
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much to you
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by way of
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advice
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from a long
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time in ministry
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but one thing
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you will always
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find
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is that
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you have to
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fall back
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on the sovereignty
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of God.
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You have to
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fall back
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on the sovereignty
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of God.
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You meet with
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things you didn't
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plan
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you wouldn't
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want to have
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planned.
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You meet with
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surprises
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you meet with
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changes
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you meet with
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challenges
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you meet with
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difficulties
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you meet with
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disappointments
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you meet with
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all sorts of
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things that
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challenged your
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soul and
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challenged your
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faith and
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sometimes even
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shake you up
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but you can
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always fall
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back on the
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sovereignty of
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God.
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And that's not
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you know when
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you fall back
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on the sovereignty
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of God it's
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not just ducking
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out of the
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issue.
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It's not that
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you're just
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refusing to
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think things
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through.
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What he meant
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by that was
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you've thought
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things through
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you've prayed
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over things
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you still believe
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in God
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you pray for
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his blessing
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but you reach
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the point where
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you've done
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that and still
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you have all
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of this to
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face.
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fall back
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on his
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sovereignty
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and of
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course in
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our personal
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lives that
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really is so
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important isn't
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it?
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And that really
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is what happened
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at the cross
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itself.
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There is the
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world's view of
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the cross come
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down from the
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cross and we
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will believe.
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Do it the way
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that we prefer
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the way we
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think best.
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Do it in
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accordance with
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our ideology.
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let our
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ideology actually
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shape what
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the cross
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is, what
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Jesus Christ
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is, who
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he is, what
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he's in the
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world for, what
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salvation is, what
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the Bible is
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about.
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Do it this
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way and we
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will believe.
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Well that's
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really the world
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of today and
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what the world
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is saying by
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that is well
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we believe in
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our own way
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anyway and
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we're not going
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to believe
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anything else.
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Now sovereign
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Lord he says
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they say
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sovereign Lord
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who made the
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heaven and
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the earth
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and who
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through the
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mouth of our
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father David
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said by the
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Holy Spirit
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now Lord look
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upon their
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threats and
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grant to your
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servants to
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continue to
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speak your
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word with
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all boldness.
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So the
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orders against
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gospel teaching
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are very
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applicable to
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the situation
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you and I
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face.
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It doesn't
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matter where
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you look
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around in
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society you'll
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find people
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in power,
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people of
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influence,
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people who
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are very
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persuasive in
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actually getting
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others to join
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their bandwagon
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whatever it is
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and against the
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gospel you'll
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find so many
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joining these
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campaigns whether
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it's in
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education,
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medical issues,
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very many other
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aspects of our
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society's life.
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people of
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God.
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But you come
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back to the
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way that it's
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all fitting
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together in
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God's plan and
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you wait upon
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the Lord to
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answer your
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prayers in due
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time.
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And that's
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where you come
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to the prayers
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that they then
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prayed.
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And one thing
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that struck me
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during the
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prayers here
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actually was how
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obviously this
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passage had
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registered with
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too many who
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were praying
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because they
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both mentioned
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at least once
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if not more
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the whole
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emphasis here
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on boldness.
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The boldness
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of these people
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we began reading
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at verse 13.
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When they saw
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the boldness of
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Peter and John
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and perceived
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that they were
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uneducated common
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men they were
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astonished.
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And where we
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finished in
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verse 31 the
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place was shaken
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they were all
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filled with the
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Holy Spirit and
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continued to speak
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the word of God
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with boldness.
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What is it to
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speak the word
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of God with
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boldness?
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What is this
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boldness that
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they were praying
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for more of?
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What is this
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boldness that you
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and I have the
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privilege of
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knowing for
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ourselves and
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of exercising
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ourselves?
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Well it's not
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the boldness of
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the world.
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It's not the
15:45
boldness of
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aggressiveness.
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It's not the
15:47
boldness of
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speech you find
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in people shouting
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down the arguments
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of others.
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It's not boldness
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of self-confidence
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in our own
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ability.
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It's not the
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boldness of
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human intellect.
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It's not the
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boldness of
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anything other
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than confidence
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in God.
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That's what it's
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meant by
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boldness.
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It's the
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boldness that
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comes through
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faith through
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trust in God.
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Boldness that
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his word is
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truth.
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Boldness that
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he is always
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sovereign and
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right.
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Boldness that
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the gospel will
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not return to
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him void.
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It will
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accomplish the
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purposes of
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God.
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Some will be
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hardened under
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it.
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Some will
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be melted.
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Some will
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be saved.
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Some will
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be lost.
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But God
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will not be
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mocked and
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God will not
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be diverted
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from his
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purpose.
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And you see
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they lifted up
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their voices
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together.
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They lifted up
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there in verse
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24.
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When they
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heard it,
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they lifted up
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their voices
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together to
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God and
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said,
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Sovereign
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Lord.
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I didn't
16:51
find any of
16:52
those people
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saying,
16:53
well,
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we need
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to pray
16:54
to God,
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but you
16:55
guys are
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in charge
16:56
of the
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meeting.
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You're the
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ones who are
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doing the
16:59
prayer.
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We'll just
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follow.
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They all
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lifted up
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their voices
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together to
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God and
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said they
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were united
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in praying to
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God and
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calling upon
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the Lord.
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They all
17:10
joined in the
17:11
prayers.
17:12
They all
17:12
joined in,
17:13
whether spoken
17:13
or otherwise,
17:14
but they were
17:14
all part of
17:15
that movement
17:16
of prayer.
17:16
prayer.
17:18
That's why
17:19
we're here
17:19
tonight.
17:20
We had two
17:21
men engaged
17:23
in prayer
17:23
audibly,
17:25
but you were
17:27
all praying,
17:28
weren't you?
17:29
We're all part
17:30
of praying
17:31
to God.
17:33
And the more
17:33
the Lord
17:34
actually impresses
17:35
on us the
17:36
need for boldness
17:37
as it is in
17:38
our particular
17:39
day to answer
17:40
the taunts
17:41
and the aggression
17:42
of the world,
17:43
that's where we
17:44
come together
17:44
to pray.
17:45
one of the
17:46
great things
17:46
about having
17:47
this meeting
17:48
in the middle
17:49
of the week
17:49
is that we
17:50
come together
17:50
to pray,
17:51
and being
17:52
together to
17:53
pray is an
17:54
inestimable
17:55
privilege.
17:58
You can do
17:59
a lot of
18:00
praying on
18:01
your own,
18:02
and you have
18:03
to do,
18:03
and I have
18:04
to do a lot
18:04
of praying
18:05
on our own
18:06
if we're really
18:06
in that
18:07
relationship with
18:07
God that
18:08
seeks as
18:09
blessing as
18:10
we trust we
18:10
do.
18:12
But there's
18:13
something
18:13
particularly
18:13
special,
18:14
and something
18:15
particularly
18:16
noteworthy
18:17
about being
18:18
as they
18:19
were here
18:19
lifting up
18:20
their voices
18:21
together to
18:22
God.
18:23
All of us
18:24
gathered together
18:25
and joined
18:26
in mentally
18:27
and spiritually
18:28
with what is
18:29
ascending to
18:30
God by way
18:31
of worship
18:32
and appeal
18:33
in prayer.
18:33
prayer.
18:38
Sometimes
18:38
perhaps we
18:39
are over
18:41
critical of
18:42
churches or
18:43
congregations
18:43
that are full
18:44
of amens
18:45
during the
18:45
time that
18:46
people pray.
18:47
Certainly
18:48
that can be
18:48
overdone,
18:49
there's no
18:49
doubt.
18:50
But nevertheless,
18:52
reasonably done,
18:53
it's a good
18:53
indicator,
18:54
isn't it,
18:54
that people
18:54
are actually
18:55
following what's
18:57
being spoken
18:58
in prayer by
18:59
those who are
18:59
praying publicly,
19:00
and their
19:01
hearts are
19:02
engaged in it
19:02
and their
19:03
minds are
19:03
engaged in it
19:04
and they're
19:05
actually being
19:06
together,
19:07
joined together
19:07
in that
19:08
concert of
19:09
prayer,
19:10
in that
19:10
corporate
19:11
prayer,
19:12
following those
19:13
who may be
19:14
individually engaged
19:15
in it publicly.
19:16
In any case,
19:17
that's what they
19:17
were doing here.
19:18
They lifted up
19:19
their voices
19:19
together to
19:21
God and
19:22
said,
19:24
Sovereign
19:25
Lord,
19:26
we pray
19:28
to you.
19:30
that is
19:32
where we
19:33
have our
19:34
comfort and
19:35
our boldness
19:36
from,
19:36
from being
19:38
together and
19:40
being together
19:40
and lifting up
19:41
our voices
19:41
to God.
19:44
I think the
19:45
days in which
19:46
we live
19:46
certainly call
19:47
for gathered
19:49
prayer,
19:50
for concerted
19:51
prayer,
19:52
for congregational
19:53
prayer,
19:54
for gatherings
19:55
for prayer,
19:57
and in
19:59
facing that
19:59
world in
20:00
all its
20:00
antagonism
20:01
to the
20:01
gospel.
20:03
One of the
20:03
great privileges
20:04
and antidotes
20:05
that we have
20:05
to that,
20:06
one of the
20:07
counteractions
20:08
to the
20:09
actions of
20:09
a hostile
20:10
world,
20:10
is to be
20:11
concerted in
20:13
prayer together
20:14
and to value
20:16
the time
20:17
when we can
20:18
be together
20:19
to pray to
20:21
God.
20:22
So,
20:22
Sovereign
20:23
Lord,
20:23
they saw
20:24
that as
20:25
significant
20:25
against the
20:26
background of
20:27
Psalm 2.
20:30
Grant
20:30
that you,
20:31
your people,
20:32
grant to
20:33
us,
20:33
Lord,
20:34
to speak
20:35
your word
20:36
with all
20:36
boldness.
20:39
Now,
20:39
it might have
20:39
been some
20:40
people that
20:41
would advise
20:41
you against
20:42
that.
20:43
Here they were
20:43
facing
20:44
imprisonment,
20:45
intimidation,
20:46
and threat,
20:46
and persecution,
20:48
and yet what
20:48
do they want
20:48
to do?
20:49
They want to
20:49
speak more
20:50
with more
20:50
boldness.
20:51
Some might
20:55
have advised
20:55
them,
20:56
let's just
20:56
keep things
20:56
quiet for a
20:57
while.
20:58
Let's not
20:58
just be as
21:00
forthright in
21:01
presenting these
21:02
claims of
21:03
Christ.
21:03
No,
21:04
that's not
21:04
what they
21:04
went.
21:05
They went
21:05
the other
21:05
way altogether.
21:07
Now,
21:07
they said,
21:09
let's grant
21:10
to your
21:11
servants,
21:11
Lord,
21:12
look upon
21:12
their threats
21:13
and grant
21:14
to your
21:14
servants to
21:15
continue to
21:16
speak your
21:16
word with
21:17
all boldness
21:18
while you
21:19
stretch out
21:19
your hand
21:20
to heal
21:21
and signs
21:21
and wonders
21:22
are performed.
21:24
It wasn't
21:25
a time
21:25
to be
21:27
quiet.
21:29
And isn't
21:29
it interesting
21:30
as well
21:30
and significant
21:31
that despite
21:33
having been
21:34
so abused
21:35
and so badly
21:36
treated,
21:37
they didn't
21:37
pray to the
21:38
Lord for
21:38
vengeance.
21:40
They didn't
21:40
pray to the
21:41
Lord that
21:41
God would
21:42
come and
21:42
punish these
21:43
people who
21:43
had done
21:43
such things
21:44
to them.
21:46
No,
21:46
they prayed
21:46
for healings
21:47
for them.
21:47
they prayed
21:50
for their
21:50
well-being.
21:53
They prayed
21:54
that God
21:54
would be
21:54
merciful to
21:55
them,
21:56
that God
21:57
would turn
21:58
them into
21:58
his way.
22:01
And that,
22:01
of course,
22:02
is for our
22:02
context as
22:03
well,
22:04
as we
22:04
follow the
22:05
example and
22:05
the pattern
22:06
that our
22:07
Lord himself
22:08
said.
22:09
Colossians,
22:10
remember
22:11
Colossians
22:12
chapter 4
22:12
gives us
22:13
that spirit
22:15
of prayer
22:17
and of not
22:18
just of
22:18
prayer but
22:18
also of
22:19
speaking to
22:20
people and
22:20
witnessing to
22:21
people for
22:22
the gospel.
22:24
Colossians
22:24
chapter 4
22:25
verses 5
22:26
to 6,
22:27
conduct
22:28
yourselves
22:28
wisely
22:29
towards
22:30
outsiders,
22:31
making the
22:32
best use
22:32
of the
22:33
time.
22:34
Let your
22:34
speech
22:35
always be
22:35
gracious,
22:37
seasoned
22:37
with salt,
22:38
so that you
22:39
may know
22:39
how you
22:40
ought to
22:40
answer
22:41
each
22:41
person.
22:42
That's
22:43
really just
22:43
following the
22:44
example of
22:45
the Lord
22:45
himself,
22:46
1 Peter
22:46
chapter 2,
22:47
which tells
22:48
us that
22:49
when he
22:49
was reviled,
22:50
he did
22:50
not respond
22:51
by reviling
22:52
again in
22:52
return,
22:53
but he
22:54
committed
22:54
himself to
22:55
him who
22:56
judges
22:56
righteously,
22:57
to him
22:58
who was
22:59
the father,
22:59
his father
23:00
had sent
23:00
him into
23:01
the world.
23:02
And so
23:03
here is
23:03
the spirit
23:04
of speech
23:06
as well as
23:07
of prayer,
23:08
as you
23:09
find it
23:09
brought out
23:10
for us
23:10
there in
23:11
the pattern
23:12
that Jesus
23:12
himself
23:13
said.
23:15
And there's
23:16
God's
23:16
answer in
23:18
verse 31
23:18
and what an
23:19
answer it
23:19
was.
23:23
When they
23:24
had prayed,
23:25
the place
23:26
in which they
23:26
were gathered
23:27
together was
23:28
shaken,
23:30
and they
23:30
were all
23:31
filled with
23:31
the Holy
23:31
Spirit and
23:33
continued to
23:34
speak the
23:34
word of
23:34
God with
23:35
boldness.
23:36
That was
23:37
God saying,
23:38
I've heard
23:38
you,
23:39
and this is
23:40
my answer.
23:41
They were
23:42
asking God
23:43
to enable
23:43
them to
23:44
continue to
23:45
speak with
23:45
boldness.
23:46
That's what
23:46
he enabled
23:47
them to
23:47
do,
23:47
but he
23:48
gave a
23:48
sign of
23:48
it by
23:49
the place
23:50
that they
23:51
were gathered
23:51
in was
23:52
actually shaken
23:53
and they
23:54
were all
23:55
filled with
23:56
the Holy
23:56
Spirit.
23:57
That has
23:57
happened,
23:58
of course,
23:58
at other
23:59
times in
23:59
the history
24:00
of the
24:00
church as
24:01
well,
24:01
even within
24:02
our own
24:03
island here.
24:04
I've
24:07
never been
24:08
in a
24:09
situation
24:09
where that's
24:10
actually
24:11
happened,
24:12
but I
24:13
did meet
24:13
some in
24:14
the course
24:14
of my
24:15
life thus
24:16
far who
24:16
were in
24:17
that kind
24:17
of situation,
24:19
who were
24:20
in a
24:20
building,
24:21
usually
24:21
somebody's
24:22
home,
24:24
and where
24:24
the Holy
24:24
Spirit's
24:25
power and
24:26
presence was
24:27
so evident
24:28
there that
24:28
people felt
24:30
the place
24:30
itself
24:31
vibrating,
24:32
trembling,
24:32
God was
24:35
there.
24:36
God was
24:37
manifesting
24:38
himself there.
24:40
I wonder
24:41
what we
24:41
say tonight,
24:43
if it had
24:44
happened here,
24:46
what would
24:48
we then say
24:48
when we went
24:49
out into the
24:49
world?
24:51
Well, it
24:51
might be
24:52
something you'd
24:53
find very
24:53
difficult to
24:54
describe,
24:55
I'm sure,
24:56
but the
24:56
reality of
24:57
that would
24:58
be evident
24:59
through your
25:00
life and
25:00
through your
25:01
witness much
25:02
more than
25:02
if it had
25:03
never happened
25:03
at all,
25:04
because what
25:04
it says is
25:05
the place
25:06
they were
25:06
in was
25:06
filled with
25:07
the Holy
25:07
Spirit,
25:08
where they
25:10
were gathered,
25:11
it was shaken,
25:12
they were
25:12
filled with
25:12
the Holy
25:13
Spirit,
25:13
and continued
25:14
to speak
25:15
the word
25:15
of God
25:16
with boldness.
25:17
It came
25:18
through in
25:19
their speech
25:19
following this
25:21
incident,
25:22
as they went
25:23
out with the
25:23
gospel to the
25:24
world,
25:25
and their
25:26
boldness
25:27
was spirit-filled
25:29
boldness.
25:31
One of the
25:31
old commenters
25:32
from long,
25:32
long ago,
25:34
John Chrysostom,
25:36
who lived
25:37
from 347
25:38
to 407
25:39
AD,
25:41
he comments
25:42
just on this
25:42
particular passage
25:44
here,
25:44
this verse,
25:45
that they were
25:45
filled with
25:46
the Holy
25:47
Spirit,
25:47
continued to
25:48
speak with
25:48
boldness,
25:49
the shaking,
25:50
he said,
25:51
of this
25:51
place,
25:53
made them
25:54
all the more
25:54
unshaken,
25:56
the shaking
25:57
of this
25:58
place,
25:59
made them
25:59
all the more
26:00
unshaken,
26:01
unshaken in
26:02
their commitment
26:03
to the gospel,
26:04
commitment to
26:04
the Lord,
26:05
in their
26:06
determination to
26:07
speak with
26:08
all boldness.
26:10
Nothing
26:10
assures us
26:12
as the
26:15
evidence of
26:16
God's
26:16
presence,
26:18
and God's
26:19
blessing,
26:21
assures us
26:21
that when we
26:23
go out with
26:23
the gospel,
26:24
whether it's
26:25
in preaching
26:27
ministry or
26:27
in your own
26:28
witness to
26:29
God,
26:30
the presence
26:31
of God,
26:32
the assurance
26:32
of God,
26:33
the ability
26:34
to speak
26:35
tactfully,
26:36
and the way
26:37
we saw in
26:37
Colossians
26:38
there,
26:38
but with
26:39
boldness,
26:40
because your
26:41
boldness comes
26:41
from knowing
26:43
who your
26:43
God is,
26:45
from knowing
26:45
where your
26:46
life is
26:47
anchored,
26:47
from knowing
26:48
what the
26:48
gospel is,
26:49
what his
26:49
promises are,
26:51
and from
26:52
knowing that
26:53
his word
26:53
will never
26:54
return to
26:55
him void
26:56
or empty.
26:58
Let's pray.
27:03
We give
27:03
thanks to
27:04
our Lord
27:04
God that
27:05
you are
27:05
almighty,
27:07
that your
27:07
power is
27:08
so great
27:09
that you
27:10
could easily
27:10
shake this
27:11
place to
27:12
its foundations,
27:14
whether it
27:14
you will to
27:15
do so.
27:16
We pray,
27:17
Lord, that
27:17
you would
27:17
grant to
27:18
us, as we
27:19
have thought
27:20
upon this
27:20
great passage,
27:21
as we
27:22
have thought
27:23
upon your
27:23
people in
27:24
these times
27:24
when they
27:26
experience such
27:27
a power and
27:27
blessing from
27:28
God.
27:29
O Lord, help
27:30
us, we pray,
27:32
to be together
27:33
in prayer,
27:34
even if we're
27:35
not together,
27:35
actually gathered
27:36
as we are
27:37
here tonight.
27:38
Nevertheless,
27:39
Lord, give us
27:39
to be bound
27:40
together by
27:40
your spirit
27:41
in common
27:42
prayer.
27:43
prayer.
27:44
We ask, O
27:44
Lord, that
27:45
the blessing
27:46
that we seek
27:47
from this
27:48
passage for
27:49
ourselves would
27:50
be evident to
27:51
us in days
27:52
to come.
27:53
Lord, grant
27:54
us that
27:54
boldness.
27:55
Grant us
27:56
that confidence
27:57
in your
27:57
word.
27:58
Grant us
27:59
that confidence
27:59
in yourself.
28:01
Grant us
28:02
the speech,
28:03
Lord, by
28:03
which we
28:04
would make
28:04
Christ known
28:05
to the world
28:06
of our day.
28:07
Give us
28:08
confidence
28:08
against the
28:09
confidence of
28:09
the world.
28:11
Give us the
28:11
boldness of
28:12
your spirit,
28:13
O Lord,
28:14
against the
28:14
boldness of
28:15
unbelief and
28:16
of atheism and
28:17
of antagonism to
28:18
your great name.
28:20
We ask all of
28:21
these things,
28:22
and now as we
28:23
confess our sins,
28:25
seeking pardon
28:25
and cleansing
28:26
for Jesus'
28:27
sake.
28:27
Amen.