Thy Kingdom Come - (part 2) - [Matthew 6:9-13]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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Well, I may not agree with DL Moody's theology on every point He was an evangelist who was hot for God and God's glory

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And he would preach at lots of evangelistic outreaches and when you do that when you're a faithful Christian There are all kinds of hecklers those who would say negative things

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DL Moody was preaching at a campaign and Somebody handed an announcement to one of the ushers at least he thought it was announcement

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It was a little piece of paper So the man handed it to the usher and then the usher handed it to DL Moody as he made his way to the pulpit he hushed down the congregation in the audience and he opened up that little note and it had one word on it and that word was

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Fool the DL Moody was equal to the task and he said this is most unusual

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I have just been handed a message which consists of but one word The word fool

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I repeat this is most unusual I've often heard of those who have written letters and have forgotten to sign their names

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Okay, keep up But this is the first time

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I've ever heard of anyone who signed his name and forgot to write the letter He opened up his

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Bible changed the text to Psalm 14. The fool has sin in his heart There's no

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God. We've been learning in the Sermon on the Mount that the fool also prays at the top of his list and only for self self self self self

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Of course, we've been learning that it's okay to pray for yourself and for your loved ones But there is a supreme one to pray for I'm helping

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Maddie with their homework a while ago and she said dad. What's the word supreme mean? I quick looked it up on the internet and it said greatest in importance

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Greatest in degree greatest in character the ultimate the final That's exactly what we're looking at If you'll turn your

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Bibles to Matthew chapter 6 the supreme sermon the Sermon on the Mount delivered by Jesus Christ I can read this sermon over and over and over and never get tired of it

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There's a sermon by John MacArthur called examine yourselves, and I've probably listened to that sermon 100 times you just be confronted again with the truth of God and his saving grace found in Christ Jesus been going verse through Verse by verse through this book

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Matthew specifically chapter 5 6 & 7 known as the sermon on The Mount Matthew is a book about the king and it starts off in chapter 2 verse 2

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Where we would see and I'll just read it for you. Where is he who has been born king of the

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Jews? So it starts off early talking about the king the king of the Jews and then Matthew chapter 27 almost like a bookend towards the

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End of the book they put the charge against Jesus over his head, which read this is

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Jesus the king of the Jews And then found not just necessarily in the middle, but in Matthew chapter 21

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It's really the theme of the book behold your king is coming when Jesus was on the beast everything about this book shouts the king and Specifically we hear from the king in Matthew chapter 5 6 & 7

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I like preaching Jesus's sermons because a they're inspired and and of course profitable and authoritative

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But be I like it because it gets the focus off of me My world revolves around me

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But when I see Christ and I see him in the Bible and I listen to him preach eyes are off of self

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And we come to the Lord and we say, you know, my sins are great this week. My issues are great this week I have concerns about my family this week.

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I have all these other kinds of things going on Then we need to turn our eyes to Christ I Have weak faith.

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It's a tough time in my life Then we turn our eyes to Christ and who he is I'm really struggling.

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I've fallen into some kind of pattern of sin. We don't look to denominations. We don't look to other people We can look to Christ.

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I don't really believe Christ like I should Did you know your faith in Christ Jesus doesn't save you?

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It's an instrument it's a channel, but it's Christ that saves not our faith that saves we're not saved because of faith

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We're saved through faith. And so I love it that I can come to this passage and say it's all about God Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

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Even as Christians we we get wound up encircling Ourselves trying to think of some kind of planet going around or a moon going around to earth and it's just ourselves around ourselves

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It's all about us But no studying a passage like this. I think of John Newton who said young Christians think themselves little growing

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Christians think themselves nothing full grown Christians think themselves as Less than nothing.

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So today we hear from the lamb and I say to you behold the lamb as we look at his Master sermon the

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Lord's Prayer so famous. You've all memorized it So famous you've all learned it and John Stott said that even though we learn it even though we've understood it

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It's hardly ever obeyed and if you go to Matthew chapter 6

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Verse 9 through following you'll see maybe you have a red -letter Bible maybe red -letter Bibles have served us to some degree showing that these are the words of Jesus, but They're no more inspired than any other words

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And we have the Lord's Prayer the disciples prayer really verse 9 pray then in this way

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And Jesus says to his disciples and he says to us with a religious term of command This is how you beseech the

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God the only God. This is how you come and offer a wish or a petition our requests

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This is how you approach God in this particular way By the way, it's not a suggestion in the original it's a command this is the way you do it

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This is the way you approach God pray then in this pattern prayer. We've been going over that for weeks

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Our father who is in heaven It all comes with with seen

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God as a God who's good and who's fatherly and who provides the sovereign powerful majestic God provides and In light of that do you see the first three petitions are all about God and then the next three are all about human needs

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Hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done Come before give us this day our daily bread forgive us our debts and do not lead us into Tim Tation it all starts with a bang that says

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God your name isn't hallowed in the earth in the world people blaspheme They profane they step on they revile they spit on If God's Word was a flag

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They'd take the flag down and put it on the ground and stomp on it and burn it But we come to God and we say it's not our name, but we want your name to be hallowed

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I've often said that I want my last words that I ever say on my deathbed Hallowed be thy name and then he moves right into the ultimate hallowing of his name your kingdom come

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It's an extension of your name to be hallowed is your kingdom to come an amplification of your your name to be hallowed is your kingdom

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Come Lord. Yes your kingdom Now I'm gonna do a little digression here

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I kind of wondering what I'm gonna do today after the baptism and all those kind of things and I Don't think

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I'm gonna preach for 60 minutes if I do and you need to get up and go then you can just get up and go I want to just Redirect for just a moment.

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What does the word esteem mean? What does the English word esteem mean and I found some very interesting definitions of the word esteem to feel delighted with approval to prize

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To have great regard for To have a favorable opinion of To count worth to something

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To like something I'll take that as an amen right there.

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And what do we do in this world? Our world revolves around Esteem it is funded by the national government

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It is funded by local governments and we are to have what kind of esteem in our lives to function self esteem or to prize self to have favorable view of self favorable opinion high value to regard with reverence one dictionary says esteem means to respect the set of value upon To consider esteem so that would be an honor and I thought that's all wrong.

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You already know I think that was wrong But it's not about Self -esteem here as Jesus says when you pray

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Here's what you're going to do Instead of thinking about yourself to start in your own kingdom and your own name and all these other things forget self -esteem.

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You need what? coin something new kingdom esteem You're to prize the kingdom you're to say that's where the value is

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And if your values there your hearts there your prayers will naturally follow

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Man said if you'd like to be miserable do this Think about yourself talk about yourself use.

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I as often as possible Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others listen greedily to what people say about you expect to be appreciated

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Be suspicious be jealous be envious be sensitive to slights never forgive a criticism trust nobody

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But yourself demand agreement with your own views on everything Sulk if people aren't grateful to you for favors shown never forget a service you have rendered shirk your duties if you can do as little as possible for others and Let me add and have a high personal self -esteem

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You want to be miserable you need to have high self -esteem. I Just need to launch for a minute.

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I'll just tell you right ahead of time I'm going to launch on that whole topic now of self -esteem so we see how bad that is

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So we want Christ to steam our kingdom of steam. I don't want you to prize yourself.

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I want to bury yourself If I had a bazooka right now, and I had an infrared laser

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I'm gonna be after whatever little remnant is in your heart of self -esteem. I Know what it would be like it'd be like a carnival you ever been to a carnival

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And they've got like a little star, and it's about 25 yards away And they give you a BB gun with about 60

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BBs And you've got to get every little bit of that black star off before you get a cupid doll That's worth about 82 cents you paid $8 to do, but if you have one little bit of area there

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You don't get the prize if you've got a smidgen of self -esteem left I've got the bazooka out today for you because you'll find as your self -esteem decreases

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Your steam of God who saved someone like you who saved someone like me Increases that's

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Jesus's whole point when you come to prayer You're tempted to pray for yourself and for those around you in a selfish way instead

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He says I want you to pray for God's name to be hallowed for God's kingdom to come and for God's will to be done

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And then what good father wouldn't then say you need food great need forgiveness great

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Need help and temptation great. I mean I get fired up when

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I read things Like this secular realm

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Peter McWilliams wrote a book called love 101 and it's got a subtitle love yourself is the beginning of a lifelong romance

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He said who's more qualified to love you than you You know what you want precisely when you want it and are always around to supply it

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Melanie Beatty of Codependent no more wrote a chapter called have a love affair with yourself

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Jackie Swartz in her book letting go of stress said here's what you ought to do, and this is not your homework for the week congregation

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Write yourself a love letter Tell yourself all the attributes you cherish about yourself the things that really please comfort and excite you

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Christian radio station was on and a Bunch of people who committed adultery were on there, and they all agreed that the reason they committed adultery was there was

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No self -esteem in their hearts But it's not just in the secular realm.

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It's in the Christian realm as well man who used to have the number one

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TV show on a Christian TV for Decades said this Reformation theology failed to make clear the core of sin is a lack of self -esteem

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The most serious sin is the one that causes me to say I'm unworthy For once one believes he's an unworthy sinner

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It is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Christ Jesus Can you imagine that?

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He goes on to say I don't think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality

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Than the un -christian uncouth Strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition

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And so you change the lyrics of amazing grace to that man's church

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From amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me to save a soul like me

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And Jesus knows that when we pray if we're not thinking properly

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We're going to have Illegal immigration that comes into our mind that says self self self.

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I mean, let me just Push it a little bit. How far have we come to listen to a tombstone that says this

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William Carey? born August 17th 1761 died

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June 1834. Here's what's on his tombstone ready a wretched poor helpless worm on Thy kind arms.

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I God isn't surprised though with this

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Purposeful Satanic push for thinking highly of ourselves second

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Timothy chapter 3 says realize this that in the last days difficult times will come and who might be at the top of the list of last days vices

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For men will be what? Lovers of self turn with me over to Matthew 22 if you will just for a moment

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I want to make sure you understand that we do not have three great commandments But that we have two and those two great commandments

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Will always be two will never be three and if we're not careful We're going to have to twist the scripture around and maybe with Lee Strobel We might say

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Madonna's problem is one of self -esteem. We don't want to do that Going against the direct commands of Scripture.

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I'm digressing, but I'm digressing for a reason in Jesus's prayer They're all about God and who he is and not about self

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We already think too highly of ourselves and Jesus says don't let that sneak into your prayer life

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And if you're not consciously thinking about it, it will I know we've been in the series for a while But just think about the last for the prayers you prayed yesterday

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Were they typified by God? It's about you and your program your kingdom who you are or were they?

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Even rightly so praying for different people in the congregation and people that are hurting the congregation

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That's a good thing to pray But that's not the only thing we're to pray for and to make sure we understand that it's all about God look at the two great commandments

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Matthew chapter 22 verse 36 Teacher which is the great commandment in the law and Jesus said to him

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Verse 37 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind complete total whole worship

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This is the great and foremost commandment Now Jesus gives them extra information

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They only ask for the greatest but he gives them the second one the corollary to the first if you do the first you'll certainly

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Do the second or you'll be commanded to do the second the second is like it You shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets

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Do you find in those verses the command that says you should love yourself? Because people will say love your neighbor as yourself that means

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I can't love other people unless I learn to love myself Friends that's a sinful a

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Stupid silly and it doesn't even work by the way if you want to find the little categories of people that have the highest

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Self -esteem in all the world they're localized by the way They're like little villages all across the world where they have the highest percentage of people with high self -esteem

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Localized in small little areas, you know what those small little areas are called Prison it's true

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People in prison have the highest self -esteem because I want what I want when I want it And I don't care if you have to get in the way

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This is not having three commands. He says the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

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In other words, Jesus says what? We already love ourselves. We already cater to ourselves.

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We already pamper ourselves. We already think about ourselves We already take care of ourselves the degree that you love yourself.

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Love what love who other people? He's saying you already love other people love

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God. I mean, that's what he's saying. You already love yourself Love other people like you love yourself

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How about back to Matthew chapter 5 verse 3? Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

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That's the blessed person not the one who's rich in spirit Charles Spurgeon said poverty of spirit is an absence of self -esteem

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Where that kind of spirit is found is sweet poverty for theirs is the kingdom of heaven true or false at Salvation God has influenced our mind in such a degree that we have at least mentally said self is over Is that true just listen to this this is an amazing if it starts with salvation

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It should be prevalent in our prayer life as well. What is that? How about self is over at salvation

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John 12 25? I'll just read it he who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to Life eternal that's at salvation.

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It should overflow into our prayers as well How about Luke 9 Rhonda read a little bit of Luke 9 earlier?

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He was saying to them all if anyone wishes to come after me let him exalt himself

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Let him think highly of himself Let him daily to think of himself as esteemed highly and thinks himself as number one

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And let him follow Muhammad Ali when he says I'm the greatest that what the text says

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Absolutely, not let him take up his cross daily and follow me whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it

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But whoever loses his life for my sake he is the one who will save it Over and over and over the scriptures are replete with we have to realize who we are

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We've met the enemy and the enemy is us and therefore make sure that enemy is squashed when we're praying

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I Like this verse Luke 18 14. I mean I like every verse in the Bible, but this particular verses is good for this morning

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I tell you this man Jesus says went down to the house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself

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Shall be humbled But he who humbles himself shall be exalted

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Are we going to believe what Robert Shuler says when you ought not to say yourself unworthy because that's the unpardonable sin

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Solomon knew better If anybody should have self -esteem it should be Solomon and Solomon said it's not good to eat much honey

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Nor is it glory to search out one's own glory Proverbs 25 27

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We're to forget ourselves We are to say God must increase I must decrease and you say yes

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But when Jesus died on the cross that shows how much we're worth We're worth a lot of Jesus could die for all that really

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It doesn't show how much you are worth it shows the depth of sin How much sin has taken place and how horrible and heinous it must be to have the pure lamb of God die for it

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One man gave a great illustration He said a recent television newscast reported the arraignment of a serial killer who admitted nine murders

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The judge set his bail at five million dollars Would we use the same sort of reasoning to conclude that this man should feel good about himself and regard himself as a very valuable

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Human being since the judge set his bail so high No, the severity of the crime

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Influenced the bail if you look at Matthew chapter 6

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Verse 10, it's thy kingdom come we are to have in our minds.

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I God it's all about you I'm just along for the ride. You don't need me.

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You're not fulfilled because of me. You're the eternal Triune God then you just condescended to save me and so I will respond with it's all about you

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It was all about you at salvation and now it's all about you in my prayer life as well Last week

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I asked this Let me ask several questions So you can understand more fully the

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Sermon on the Mount thy kingdom come question number one in review. What preoccupies your mind? God's kingdom are yours.

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We talked about that for a long time that it's God's glory not to us Oh Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory

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Question number two. Are you aware that there are two aspects of God's rule? When we're to pray thy kingdom come we ought not to forget that God sovereignly is ruling over everything

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Yet there is a future kingdom to come D a

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Carson said God is eternally holy. So he eternally reigns in absolute sovereignty Yet it is appropriate to pray not only hallowed be your name, but also your kingdom come

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We are praying hallowed be thy name God's name couldn't be more hallowed Yet we still are to pray that that there be a future manifestation and a current manifestation of the holiness of God So to thy kingdom come we're not saying

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God. You're not sovereign. But as your sovereignty Exists, we want to have a future manifestation of that on earth

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Question number three and you say Mike you're going too fast Number one get last week's sermon number two

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Force today to go fast. Nobody's sitting up there in that little area right there though. That's pretty good

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Question number three What is your hope in life? In other words, do you long for Jesus Christ in his return where he gloriously reigns?

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We looked at that right from the text and in Matthew 6 10 your kingdom come Lord come quickly

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Lord set up your kingdom quickly. That's what we're longing for I think the Lord has really helped us out with this whole stock market issue

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That's been kind of a good thing. Someone asked me this week Do you think we'll see more people at church because they realize they can't trust in some kind of riches that they've hoarded up on paper

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Said I don't know that doesn't really change the heart, but I hope so. I hope it's true The hope is

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Jesus's return in his future kingdom question for now

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We're caught up to where we were last week question for do you acknowledge that God must make his kingdom come?

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You notice the text Matthew 6 10 your kingdom come it's a prayer God You're going to have to make it happen and we talked last week that we can't make this happen

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We can't use human means like politics to somehow get God's kingdom to come

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Zechariah 4 6 would apply here. This is the word of the Lord not by might nor by power

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But my by my spirit says the Lord No human kind of conniving can bring

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God's kingdom to come Jesus would say to the zealots the assassins That's not the way my kingdom is going to come on earth

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For those of you that pour your life and heart and mind into political strategies and political

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Campaigning friends. It can't compare to the preaching of the gospel that would turn people's lives ups right side up forever

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I wonder if the Christian right poured all its energy into evangelism

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Instead of politics what would happen? Not One drop of sweat for politics has any eternal ramifications.

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It's wasted. I also began to think

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Do you know? Turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6. I think there's another way if we're not careful.

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We want God's kingdom to come we might want God's kingdom to come by partnering with other people who say they're

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Christians because numbers and and a bankroll and Influence would help.

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Hey God send your kingdom. Maybe politics won't work. But how about religious?

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cooperation Just to make sure we have many people this church who understand our position on this

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But some don't some are new and so I like to teach old truths on a regular basis like self -esteem

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But also like religious partnership. Let me take you to one of the verses in the Bible.

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That's the most mistranslated in the Bible 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 14

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Paul is writing this letter and he's going to try to warn the Corinthians that even though his heart is I'm open wide for you in ministry

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Make room Corinthians in your heart for me 2nd Corinthians chapter 7, but he's not going to remind them

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This doesn't mean going hand in hand with a bunch of people who say they believe in Jesus, but they've got the wrong

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Jesus And we use it as the marriage verse we use it as a business verse

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Well, I think you could imply don't marry an unbeliever and I think you could imply don't have a business with an unbeliever

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But that's not what he's talking about at all Look at these non -negotiables here in 2nd

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Corinthians and when we're praying God have your kingdom come He's not saying go arm -in -arm with a bunch of other people who say they believe in Jesus, but it's the wrong

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Jesus I will never ever ever forget. I'm sitting at my address back at Omaha, Nebraska Over Christmas with my mother was sitting there and my brother and sister and I'm a brand -new

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Christian And of course when I was a brand -new Christian, I was very calm. I Was very you know,

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I wasn't Rambo guy or anything like that. I just was gentle Forbearing it's like when

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I called my old boss in corporate American sales and he would come and ride with me once in a while and I Thought he was such a good boss

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He let me go visit my father when he was my father was dying and I thought you know what what a great boss And so I called him on the telephone.

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I cracked him down and I said Ben you were the best boss I ever had I don't know if I thanked you then I'm sure I did but I just want to say thank you again

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And he said, oh, you're welcome. He said if you calm down with that whole Christian thing yet, and I sat there in my mother's kitchen

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And I'm talking about Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus That was something that was in my heart from God's goodness as he implanted in my soul a desire for Christ's glory

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And I still was rough around the edges and my grandmother said

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I believe in Jesus. I almost fell off the couch Almost fell off the chair and then she said and Mormons believe in Jesus too, and I thought you're right

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But it's the wrong Jesus you can call him Jesus if you want but it doesn't match up to the Bible Jesus and if it's the

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Jesus who's got Satan as a as a Some kind of spiritual brother and it's got a second

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Nephi chapter, whatever the chapter is it doesn't matter It's all blasphemy. You've been saved by grace after all you can do.

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That's the wrong Jesus, but you know what? There's lots of Mormons. So why don't we partner up with the Mormons? I love

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Jesus. Yes, we do. I love Jesus How about you the Mormons say yes, we do and we all get along because God Kingdom you got it

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We're not doing it. Now. Things look pretty bleak. Could there be a bleaker time in America for?

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Super naturalism Rationalism has taken over secular humanism has taken over and what are we to do?

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God needs our help I think he knows what to do. I think he's told us, you know Let's all come along for Jesus and and March and stuff like that when

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I first moved here 12 years ago I used to get letters from the churches in the area and They want to know if I'd go to their church and preach

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And then when somebody from their church could come here and preach and it'd just be a little swap Where'd he kind of go and swap and preach?

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And I try to be really nice and I try to say I got a great idea How about I go to your church and preach and then nobody can come here and preach

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And I always wanted to meet him and I wanted to meet them and to let them know, you know I don't really have fangs. I'm a nice guy allegedly and you know,

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I'm not gonna just you know assault you physically or something and so then I got this letter and it can said

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Would you like to be part of the ecumenical council? I thought but I probably should say something to someone and dear sirs

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Dear Wicca leaders, you know, whatever it was Thank you very much for the kind offer

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I appreciate that But the Bible says this is the way of salvation and since we can't even agree on how to get to heaven

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It'd be kind of a disingenuous for me to come and talk with you all and pray with you all when we don't even pray

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To the same God, I thought scoring points in the community

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I'm big community service guy like that's that fundamentalist cult down the street I thought done

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I get a letter Kind of afraid to open those letters and it had just the the new people on the ecumenical council

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And I was laughing thinking how can the if if Whitfield? Knew what the Methodists were doing now.

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He wouldn't have been a Methodist back then. He would have said, you know Ex -officio, I absolve you, you know,

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I don't want to do that I just thought I couldn't believe it And so I read the list and everything was a big funny thing until I got to the very bottom and it said

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Mike Abendroth Bethlehem Baptist Church, I Thought I can write a letter like that and they still want me.

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They're not worse They're not more sinful, but I have received enlightening grace that says

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Here's God's kingdom and here's how it comes and no wonder Paul came along and he said

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I don't even remember who I baptized I'm here to preach the gospel. I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ even him who's crucified and And if we're not careful our heart will just slide right over and say, you know, let's

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Go arm -in -arm with Churches who don't believe in the same way of salvation. Oh, we should do things with churches that do

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I'm not saying that but look at this It's non -negotiable verse 14 do not be bound together with unbelievers

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Don't be equally yoked with Don't be unequally yoked with an unbeliever and that he's saying in such a way that some of them already are

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They're starting to do things in a fleshly way This is not optional. I can't do it

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You call me and say here's a person who's not a monotheist and here's a person who's a monotheist believe believes in sacraments to get

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To heaven and Mike you go do something spiritually with them I would sin if I did and what does the world say?

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Oh, that's so unloving I mean I could say it in a nice way, but I am bound by God to do his word I have to avoid these things

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Has nothing to do with marriage and with business These people are pagans

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If it wasn't even commanded by God I still wouldn't do it because now they're gonna think I think they're in I don't think they're

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In and by the way, they ought not think I'm in but they've become so paganized that they think

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I'm in and everybody else is In no matter what the church says the Bible says you either believe in Christ Jesus or you don't we all can't be right

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Why am I yelling? Stupid weak point shout

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How can we have a covenant relationship with someone who's a pagan for the good of the kingdom of God?

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You know the answer You promote a different way to heaven. I can't go arm -in -arm with you.

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Even if the Reason is abortions murder Abortion is murder can't negotiate with God.

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He's given the command look down in verse 14 B through 16. He gives you five contrasts all

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So you'll say I can't do that and he's gonna he's gonna appeal to your reason to your logic

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Look at how logical this is verse 14 B For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness answer?

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There's none. So you ought not to have a partnership with them either Second question are what fellowship has light with darkness?

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They don't go together Fellowship and lighter Christian terms darkness.

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No Verse 15 a what harmony has Christ with Belial? What harmony does Christ have with Satan the wicked perverted one?

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What symphony does Christ have with the devil? That's the word partnership symphony harmony

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No verse 15 B. What has a believer in common with an unbeliever in the salvation realm nothing

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Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the

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Living God by rhetorical questions. We know the answer It's nothing if you go down to verse 16

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B You want to be pure? It's profitable. You want to be pure for God?

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It's useful I will dwell in them.

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What a promise and I will walk Among them for the spiritually pure.

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What a promise. I will be their God What a promise and they shall be my people What a promise

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God I don't know what to do about your kingdom to come but I'd prefer you be on my side And so I'll say no to somehow

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Religious ecumenism gone crazy and I would just as soon have you to dwell with me walk amongst me be my

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God and I'll be Your people that's enough for me therefore verse 17 come out from their midst and be separate says

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Lord and do not touch was what is unclean our Religious organizations that were unclean and I will what?

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I'll talk to you later when I'm not busy I'll see if it all works out pragmatically and if the numbers stack up in your favor,

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I'll be right there for you Can you imagine God saying this and I will what what's the text say?

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I'll welcome you. I'll put the welcome mat out for you. Well done You Leave idolatry and arm and arm with other idolatrous people and I'll welcome you so much

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So look at the text 18 and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me to God Almighty the

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Creator This is the Lord Almighty Paul says you church of Corinth say oh

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God's my father and and he's so wonderful and then put your arm around a bunch of People who say they believe in Jesus believe in the wrong

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Jesus. That's defiling. That's contaminating. That's polluting Don't do that We can't make the kingdom come any faster by somehow saying politics as the answer are all grouping together

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Is the answer in some really? religious ecumenism Say pastor the times gone.

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I Know but let me at least say this. I think what you can do is evangelize.

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Can't you? God knows me a number of the elect and there's a certain need to come before Christ returns.

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I Think we can preach the gospel You believe this sentence the more doors you knock on the more elect you will find believe that I believe that We just don't wait for people to get saved

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We go out with the authority of Christ Jesus and preach the gospel to them one Christian at a time.

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I Studied this week what old evangelists used to do How about this?

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This is a wonder that God would do this and it convicts me How about this for those of you that like handing out tracks

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Duncan Matheson in 1800s passed out 25 ,000 tracks within days in 1855 alone.

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He gave out 52 ,000 tracks 622 English Bibles 14 ,000 1400

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New Testament's 770 French New Testament's 4300 Italian New Testament's and 450 other books and then he said

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Here's a man who said God it's your kingdom, but if you allow me to be a part of evangelism I'll be glad to do it

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He said this I do not know if ten minutes of my life ever passes without thinking of the salvation of souls

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I Used to be so stupid I used to get bills in the mail and put tracks in the bills and send them in Now is that really stupid?

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I have people tell me I even got emails this week pastor I'd like to order these tracks Can I put Bethlehem Bible Church name on them and send them out?

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I don't care what they are as long as they got the gospel on there go for it Don't ask me anymore quit emailing me just do it

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You can go One leg at school teacher from Scotland came to Jay Hudson Taylor.

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I'd like to go to China With only one leg. Why do you think you're going as a missionary?

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How are you gonna do that? I? Don't see those go with two going with two legs Accepted woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because you travel about on sea and land to make one one proselyte

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Makes me mad that some people for the false gospel evangelize with more ardency and fervor than I do provokes me children gather wood and the fathers kindle the fire and the women need dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven and they pour

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Out libations to God's in order to spite me We're going to use politics and religious

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Cooperation to fight that there's only one sword we have and it's the gospel That's why Wesley preached 40 ,000 sermons in his life and probably rode 250 ,000 miles on a horse

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Amazing Whitfield 18 ,000 formal sermons 30 ,000 if you count his informal studies speaking 40 hours per week.

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I was sooner wear out than rust out We've got a problem at this church.

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And here's the problem every year We go like 10 % or 15 % and then we don't know what to do Do we to go to two services?

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Do we go back to one? Bigger building do we meet over in this place? Do we go to Clinton High School?

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Do we go down to the movie theater and meet? What do we do? I got an idea for what we'll do Let's forget about these minor problems

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Let's all go preach the gospel to people and tell people about sin and the Savior and then have about 500 people get converted and then we really won't know what to do and we'll rejoice as we don't know what to do

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I'd be better can't fit them all in There's something in us that when we say

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God may your name be hallowed that should make us want to say God I'll be a part you say

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God in prayer. Would you save my sister? Isn't there something in you that says and Lord if you'd let me be a part of sharing the truth

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I want to do that and likewise God your kingdom come and if you would use me to be a part of your kingdom

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Coming as Jesus is close to returning and I preach the gospel So people can see their need and they enter into the inauguration of the kingdom now

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God I want that so Doriani said your kingdom come is an evangelistic prayer

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John Payton said His first communion service I got a quit He didn't say that he didn't say

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I got a quit. I've got a quit though. I don't know what time it is where we're going You know for the longest time people say well, you know, we got to get out of such -and -such time

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What I do is the same thing every week. I just turn my clock back and then just preach for 45 to 55 minutes

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I don't know what else to do. I can't add we started 1107 add 43 and a half minutes.

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What do we do? I don't know what to do. I just preach just keep preaching All right, ten more minutes, let's go

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See when we have two services, we're gonna be in trouble And I don't know when to end for the first by the way, make sure you thank the nursery people back there watching your kids

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John Payton the missionary to the cannibals After Years of hard work that the

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Lord blessed that the Lord gave he had a communion service his first one We start with baptism and now we end with communion and he put the wine and he put the bread into the hands of the cannibals

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That used to have blood soaked on their hands And he said as he gave each emblem to each ex cannibal

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He said I had a foretaste of the joy of glory

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That well nigh break my heart to pieces. I Shall never taste a deeper bliss till I gaze on the glorified face of Jesus himself.

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I Want that I want you to want that let's pray Lord that we would acknowledge this morning that it's about your kingdom

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It's about your glory And I can even imagine Barbara this morning Feeling the same way that John Payton did as she watched her sister

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Rhonda be baptized Well, I pray that that would be Infectious. I pray that we would be a church not promoting the doctrines of grace not being some high church that never evangelizes but a church that has been so affected by your grace that we just want to preach the gospel to others and Father may it start in our own homes with their own families

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May it start with those who say they believe in Jesus who we know are lost and Lord May you give us thick skin and warm hearts as we see the lost and we see the lost perishing

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May we be like that one -legged schoolteacher who said I'll go for your glory Souls are perishing rest

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Will rest in heaven and Lord we thank you for this word and I pray that you'd rivet it to our hearts