Pearls and Pigs, Hounds and Holiness

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Preacher: Ross Macdonald Scripture: Matthew 7:6

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Well this morning we press on in in Matthew chapter 7 and we come to verse 6 it's not exactly a
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Verse that preachers look forward to preaching, but it's a verse that often produces a lot of question marks.
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I was leaving a Prayer on Thursday evening and someone asked the question. What do you what what verse are you preaching on on Sunday?
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I said Don't cast your pearls before swine Like yay
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So this is what we all want to hear But of course we often have questions. What's exactly going on in this verse?
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Matthew 7 of course has been showing us the way that we relate to others
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We began in verses 1 through 5 with how we relate to one another inside specifically as fellow believers
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Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye? So we've been looking at from verses 1 through 5 how we relate to those on the inside and here in verse 6
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Arguably, we're shifting a little bit to how we relate to those on the outside verse 12 is going to say
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We're always relating to our neighbor but I think verses 1 through 5 are largely dealing with those who are on the inside those who are brothers and Verse 6 and then heading into the prayer in verses 7 through 11
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There's largely a response to how we deal with those on the outside Of course verses 7 through 11 are how we relate in light of the relation we have above So inside outside as a result of the relationship we have above praying asking seeking knocking
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And then verse 12 will bring it all full circle with the golden rule that we are to treat our neighbor as we would have our neighbor treat us
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So the difference that we began with in the very first and second verse judge Not that you be not judged was the difference between judgment and judgmentalism that is carried all the way through last week
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We were reminded that there is a need to look up to God It's only when we're looking up to God that we can see the thing
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We can't see when all we're doing is looking around if we're looking around that others and not up at God We won't see that beam that plank of self -righteousness or spiritual pride
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It's something that you can only discover when you're looking up to God and having looked up to God we remove that beam of spiritual
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Pride that that plank of self -righteousness and now Jesus says we can see clearly and we can help our brother
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Seeing God, of course rightly not only removes spiritual pride Judgmentalism will also compels us to love and seek to help those around us
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We want to help our brother now that we're seeing clearly we're seeing ourselves as God sees us we're seeing our brother as God sees him or our sister as God sees her a
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Godward view in light of the judgment that was spelled out in verse 2 this this judgment that will be
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Meeted out to us in the same way. We meet it out to others This is standard that if we establish it over others
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It will be established upon ourselves a Godward view in light of that judgment will help us to live lives of prizing
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Mercy this will recognize our need for mercy will mature in this merciful way of our
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Father in heaven Who is merciful seeing the ever greater depths of his mercy toward us in Christ?
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So that's essentially where we've been in verses 1 through 5 Now we come to verse 6
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Jesus says Do not give what is holy to the dogs Nor cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you into pieces
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So we have dogs and we have swine And we probably have a very basic chiasm chiasm is a is a structural pattern
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Not not all commentators agree with this, but the vast majority do and I agree with the vast majority
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The a lines of this chiasm in other words The corresponding parallel is do not give what is holy to the dogs lest they turn and tear you into pieces
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So the first and the last line are parallel and then the middle two lines are parallel Do not cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet
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So the swine are the creatures that trample things under their feet The dogs are the creatures that turn and will tear you into pieces
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Now what exactly are the dogs and the swine that we're dealing with in verse 6 there? There is a distinction though.
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We ought not to press the distinction too far, but I believe there is a helpful and meaningful distinction Well, the first thing we have to say about the dog in verse 6 is this is not the image of the beloved pet
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You know Snowball in the fan in the nice holiday sweater in the family photo. That's not exactly the dog
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That's in view certainly not in the first century No offense to Jed or any other dogs that are beloved in the
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Church of God These are scavenging dogs. These are slum dogs These are dogs that would roam the alleys and the gutters and the trash pits and not just the major cities
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But even the remote towns and the villages if you got in the way Perhaps if you were a beggar or a leper you you might be prey to a roaming pack of dogs
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Of course, these were seen as a threat Not just for one's health, but even for one's
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Safety and so the idea is that this becomes a sort of epithet even a slur against those who are undesirables
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Especially those who are immoral especially those who are Gentiles So when we're when we're seeing don't give what is holy to the dogs
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We're thinking not a Bijan freeze named sprinkles in a purse We're thinking a slum dog a junkyard dog a drooling nasty looking
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Rottweiler if that helps Of course the word dog in Jesus day was a standard
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Jewish term of Negativity toward Gentiles Now we have to be careful in assuming that it's always applied to Gentiles because dogs is just always a negative insult
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And Isaiah 56 10 God calls the the leaders the ministers of his people dumb dogs.
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Just lie around They're not able to keep watch. They're useless and Revelation 22 we have all those who are gathered of every tribe and tongue
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Into the city of God and who's on the outside of Revelation 22 the dogs the sorcerers the immoral
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And so you see that dogs is always a negative connotation in this way Jesus is not of course throwing out an insult
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He is using dog as a spiritual characteristic of someone who violently and consistently
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Rejects the gospel and even threatens those who bear it Really important.
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All right. This is not it's not saying whoever's not a believer is clearly a dog and a swine It's not exactly what
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Jesus is going. Remember he's saying we need to avoid judgmentalism that harsh critical spirit
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That's a really important thing, but we're always making moral judgments and we're going to have to use that moral judgment
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We're gonna have to exercise Discernment and those that we are seeking to help and those that we are seeking to bear the good news of the gospel toward We may come against those who could only be spiritually described as dogs that want to turn and tear you into pieces we may come up against those in our witness who are like swine who simply take whatever you're giving and trample it under their feet and so the dog is one who violently and Consistently rejects the gospel and even threatens those who bear it swine, of course pigs
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Were the token unclean animal in terms of Levitical ceremony?
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These were animals with cloven feet, but nevertheless you could not eat them because they did not chew the cud
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They were seen as unclean They were associated with the Gentiles and the unclean immoral nations that surrounded the people of Israel That's again hard for us as Gentiles to reckon with Maybe you you have a
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Muslim co -worker. Maybe, you know, some some Jews that that eat kosher and you see that they have an absolute
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Repugnance toward all things pork. What's more American than eggs and bacon? All right, wakey -wakey eggs and bakey.
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That's like the American way of life. Not if you're a Jew Not if you're a Muslim Maybe we grew up reading
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Charlotte's Web or watched the movie babe And we think of the adorable little pig or the piglet from Winnie the
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Pooh. We have positive connotations for pigs But we also have some of that negative connotation.
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Don't we your room looks like a pig sty? You know what? I'm gonna get some ice cream and I'm just gonna pig out for the rest of the day
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So we also have some negative Negative imagery. What is Jesus doing with the imagery of the pig?
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It's not the one that aggressively Turns to tear to attack and is a threat in that way.
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I think the point is they There's an indiscriminate trampling. That's that's the main point he's using swine as a
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Spiritual characteristic of someone who cannot think beyond their carnal appetite has no ability to discriminate
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Between things that are right and wrong things that are good things that are evil There's no valuation at all of spiritual things and so they mock and they scoff and they ridicule and they laugh they
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Trample the holy and precious things of God and Jesus says when you come across in your witness
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In your attempt to be the salt and light of Matthew 5 in your witness
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When you come across those who are reacting and rejecting in a way that is spiritually like a dog or like a swine
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Do not give them what is holy any longer Do not cast your pearls before them So the negative image of of dogs and swine actually comes together in 2nd
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Peter 2 and 2nd Peter 2 This is speaking of false teachers and Peter says it happened to them according to the true proverb
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A dog returns to his own vomit and a sow having washed To her wallowing in the mire.
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So again, you see this negative imagery of a filthy unclean animal who's not able to discern between what is right and what is wrong who has no
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Recognition for the things that are good or the things that are evil So we have the dogs and the swine along with the pearls and What is holy again?
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The metaphor of Matthew 7 6 is holding together the sacred the things of God divine things blessed things with the profane
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Things that are of the earth things that are of the flesh Things that are evil things that are dark now this seems to be a very broad statement about the things of the
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Lord being likened to a pearl or likened to that which Is holy the holy revelation of God the holy?
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Activities that belong to the service and worship of God and perhaps in its immediate context the pearls or that which is holy
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Are the mysteries of the kingdom of God in Matthew 13? Jesus will describe the kingdom of God as the pearl of great price
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And pearls were of great pie price in the in the first century. They're very difficult to acquire
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That's why the finder in Matthew 13 when he finds that pearl of great price. He knows its value
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He sells everything he has to acquire it He doesn't withhold anything.
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He gives the sweater off his back the sandals off his feet He knows that that pearl is worth the world entire
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Well for the finder of that pearl of great price again in Matthew 13 the one who has understood and embraced the kingdom of God The message of the gospel of the kingdom of God.
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They're not going to take that pearl of great price And then go throw it into the pigsty to get trampled.
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They're not gonna play fetch with Fido with that pearl of great price The interesting thing is if they're that excited about it, what are they gonna do?
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They're gonna want to show it to all of their friends and family members, aren't they? You won't believe what
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I found when I was out in the field Come meet me in the field I only gonna own it for another day
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But come meet cuz I'll at least be able to show you what I found It's the reason I'm selling everything I have my whole life has changed now.
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I found this pearl In other words, there's gonna be a great excitement and energy about sharing that pearl showing it to others
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What's not gonna happen is he's not gonna allow the toddler to take it and run off with it and lose it He's not gonna allow the person that thing.
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This is worthless. Let me get rid of it for you He's he's not gonna allow someone who's just mocking and laughing and scoring.
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That's not even real. What a fool you are He's not gonna keep bringing it out to show them So perhaps the principle here is you show it you don't throw it you show the pearl of great price
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You show the mysteries of the kingdom. You don't throw them Before those who cannot understand their worth
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Do not give what is holy to the dogs Nor cast your pearls before swine lest they trample them under their feet turn tear you into pieces
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Well, why is this verse here the beginning of chapter 7 Well, as I said in verses 1 through 5
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Jesus is warning us against judgmentalism against a proud spirit The Luke 18 righteous
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Pharisee spirit quick to judge setting up their own Personal standard as God's own righteousness harsh in the way.
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They measure up others harsh in the way They measure out things to a brother or a sister
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So in verse verses 1 through 5 essentially Jesus is saying you cannot be judgmental
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But in verse 6 he's saying you must make moral judgments You see this this balance you cannot be judgmental, but you must make moral judgments
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There are dogs and swine in this world there are people who we think of places like Nigeria or China I was just reading yesterday about the
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The arrest and imprisonment of Ezra Min Jing who is a pastor one of the largest underground churches in China There are places where I mean the dogs aren't prone to turn they turn and Their faces are red with the blood of the martyrs
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These things exist and Jesus says you you must make moral judgments You must discern and be very weary of how you're carrying the holy things of God to a darkened and fallen world around you
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Some will come to you as beggars looking for bread. Others will come to you as Though you are the archenemy of all life entire
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So we cannot be judgmental, but we must make moral judgments. In other words, we must not be selfishly critical but we cannot fail to distinguish between that which is good and that which is evil and and those who are interested curious perhaps even willing to argue or contend for the things of the kingdom and those who only mean to scorn and Threaten and destroy the things of the kingdom
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So we acknowledge there's real differences between people. Jesus is asking us to do that as his followers
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As one said we are to be saints not simpletons We're to discern these things
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Proverbs has a lot to say about this a Wise man loves rebuke a fool hates you for it
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We're to discriminate between the wise and the fool because it changes how we respond or answer to them
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We may not answer to a fool in a certain situation where we must answer to the wise.
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We must answer to the humble And so we see again where we're called to recognize the
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Spiritual differences in the people that we are bearing the things of the kingdom toward as we seek to be salt and light we must
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Make moral judgments now again, this is assuming verses 1 through 5. We're looking
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Godward at all relationships We've removed that beam of spiritual pride from our eyes now
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We can see people clearly we can see their positions clearly we can see their needs clearly and we care about those needs
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The the ultimate division or discernment begins By dividing all people into one of two groups the whole world entire is rightly divided between those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ the whole world
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We're born into Adam We are by nature children of wrath just as the rest
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Were adopted by the Spirit of God Brought into union with the
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Sun so that we are now in Christ if we've been born by his spirit
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Given the spirit of adoption by his grace the whole world is divided up between those who have faith in God through Christ by his spirit and Those who are still in Adam Default just as they are just as we were
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That is the most basic division and we can never pretend like that's not a real division That is the real division of everyone.
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You've ever met could meet will meet Those who embrace Christ and those who reject him what
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Jesus is saying in Matthew 7 6 is among those who reject him There's a further difference There's those who may plug up their ears
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Or those who politely denure those who say no Thank you those who are curious those who even engage and contend a little bit
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There are those that perhaps are willing to hear willing to ask even willing to argue on the one hand
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But on the other hand, there are those who become so hardened so aggressive so obstinate so opposed to the gospel of God But they're not open to hearing.
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They're not open to seeking. They're not interested in talking. They're not interested in debating They only want to mock and ridicule and scorn and persecute
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And Jesus says do not give what is holy to them Do not take the pearls of the mysteries of the kingdom and throw them into that kind of muck
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They're self -condemned We find this twofold
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Way of dealing with those who reject God throughout Scripture The famous example that Martin Lloyd -Jones used is when
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Pontius Pilate was asking Jesus sincere questions. He's a pagan Jesus life was in an earthly sense in his hands.
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Herod wasn't gonna do anything apart from Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate was asking him sincere questions in his conscience.
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He wanted Jesus to be set free He could see that he was being unfairly treated And when he asked sincere questions
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Jesus gave him sincere answers And then when he was trotted to Herod Jesus discerning that Herod was a profane man not interested in sincere answers
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Wanting demonstrations and affirmations. He saw what he did to John the Baptist and when Herod asked
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Jesus questions Do you know what he got in return? nothing Jesus answered him nothing
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Martin Lloyd -Jones summed it up this way. You answer the questions of a pilot in your life You refuse to answer the questions of a
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Herod Paul wrote to Titus along this this way
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He explains that Titus needs to exhort and convict those who contradict him Because there's many that are insubordinate idle talkers deceivers whose mouths must be stopped
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He's talking about those who are being prone toward the Judaizing tendency that was Working and sort of following in the train of Paul's mission.
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He says especially those of the circumcision He says you need to exhort them convict them. They're contradictory.
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They're insubordinate. They're talking deceiving upsetting whole households. You must silence them But at the same time then he says in chapter 3 avoid foolish disputes
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Genealogies contentions strivings about the law. They're useless They won't profit you anything if a man's divisive in this way reject him after first or second warning him
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And he says such a person is warped. They're self -condemned So again
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Paul is saying first you need to answer their mouths must be stopped And it can get to a place where you don't answer you simply reject them
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That's Titus 1 to Titus 3 or think of Philippians 3 a similar
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It's the circumcision party at hand and Paul says beware of dogs Here not the
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Gentiles But but those who would call the Gentiles dogs and he says they're actually the dogs beware of these dogs beware of evil workers beware of the mutilation those proclaiming circumcision rightly
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He says we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus have no confidence in our flesh
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So again, Paul is saying beware Titus 3 would apply in Acts 13 when
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Paul comes to share the gospel in Antioch him and Barnabas, of course are ministering to the
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Word of God and they're doing so By the synagogues in all of the cities and where that word of Jesus as Messiah is embraced
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Many follow in the the way of the Apostles and this is where the church emerges in all these great cities
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But in Acts 13, there's such repudiation such hostility such threatening that they finally say it was necessary That the
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God of Word the Word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it Since you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life.
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We're going to the Gentiles now so again
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Where as Luke 10 would say where they encounter rejection what the Paul and Barnabas do They shake the dust off their sandals and they keep moving on when
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Paul was ministering in Corinth. He was in the synagogue Same thing there They opposed him and they blasphemed and so he shook his garments and said to them your blood is on your own heads
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I'm clean from now on I go to the Gentile. I tried
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I Tried You won't hear it you'll threaten you'll blaspheme
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Well, I won't give my pearls for you to trample on I won't give you what is holy When Jesus was told that the
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Pharisees were offended by his teaching. He says in Matthew 15 14 leave them alone
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They're blind leaders of the blind It doesn't say oh, this is what a great opportunity we should go to them and you know
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Here's 12 points you can use in an agreement with them. He doesn't give that direction all he says avoid them leave them alone
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Of course in the context, of course It Jesus was contending and often challenging and answering often the challenges of the scribes and the
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Pharisees But you see there's a time where they're self -condemned. They're beyond hearing.
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They're blasphemous There's no sincerity or or genuineness in the way that they're seeking after the things of God And this is where Matthew 7 6 supplies
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Jesus whole ministry in some ways was feeling and searching these things out He hid things from the wise he hid things from those who who thought themselves well and righteous
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He revealed through parables a number of ways that the kingdom of God was only for those who were humble and repentant
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Only they could understand the things of the kingdom. And so he deliberately concealed them from arrogant and self -righteous people leave them alone
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Don't give what's holy to dogs Don't cast pearls into the pigsty
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Now brothers and sisters this does not give us the license To make a snap judgment about people
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Have a command from God To preach the gospel to every creature under heaven
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So this is not a warrant to make a snap judgment about someone and my co -workers basically a dog
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If I even brought the gospel up to him, he probably would reject it That's not Matthew 7 6
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Matthew 7 6 is already assuming some level of interaction some level of engagement
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You don't start with a dog or a swine. It just gets to that place. It's very very important We understand that but we cannot navigate our relationships by making snap judgments that this person must be this way because then perhaps the the most glorious conversions and testimonies coming from the most unlikeliest of prospects will not actually
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Be able to receive the seed of life everlasting into their lives.
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It's it's glorious when In the in the in the projects or out of biker gangs the
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Lord calls men and women to himself So this is a charge on the one way
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We're not to give what is holy to the dogs Nor to cast pearls into the pigsty and and that means in some ways that the one who is a zealous soul winner needs to take this to heart in a way that they're not prone to I have to be very mindful that if I if I keep pursuing someone and they're becoming more of a mocker more of a scoffer their
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Conscience is getting more and more hardened and they're even blaspheming God and blaspheming the faith and maybe even getting so angry
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That they might make threats about those who belong to Christ that that zealous soul winner should not say but I'm gonna keep on persevering not against Matthew 7 6
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But I'm assuming Generally speaking in the Church of God We're not gonna have to take
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Matthew 7 6 in that way It's not because we're zealous soul winners that we need to hear Matthew 7 6
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Because we're actually prone to youth Matthew 7 6 as an excuse or a reason not to fulfill the
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Great Commission So the principle here is that Matthew 7 6 must never become a muzzle for the gospel or an excuse for us to hide behind again
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The people you engage with the people that are around the salt and light of the kingdom at work in your life
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Only become dogs and swine potentially. Have you ever seen the covers of those anamorph books? That's what it is
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It's a person becoming slowly a swine or a dog as the as the waves and the overtures of the gospel
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Continue to lay upon them And it also get means there's a certain level of patience and persistence that we need to have
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It's not the first sign of rejection The first sign of ridicule or doubt that we lose heart and go.
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Oh, this is person as a dog or a swine It may be a very very long time before you come to what
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Matthew 7 6 is arguing Remember what Jesus laid down in Matthew 5 you are to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
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That's always true Even where you've employed this
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I'm no longer going you're still praying you're still seeking ways to show love that never stops for a
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Christian It just means that you'll no longer subject the holy name of your God to blasphemy or open ridicule
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You'll no longer take the things that are holy and allow them to be torn asunder by those who hate God and hate
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God's people That's what Matthew 7 6 is about Of course sometimes when you're dealing with dogs you
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You can be incredibly friendly and close and have a great relationship on all things and all levels except that which is holy
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That which is spiritual the one area as a Christian you want to relate to them Most is the one area you can't relate to them at all
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And that's especially difficult when we're dealing with family members Alicia when
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I first met Alicia her parents and her family had a dog named Toby. It's this white and brown dog
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The most joyful, you know If I could capture it in a phrase and empty -headed glee
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It's just like this dumb happiness all day long. It was just happy to be whatever was going on.
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It was happy And it seemed like there was there was nothing that could break the the almost
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Childlike joy and energy of this dog unless it had something in its mouth that it didn't want you to have and then it became
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Cujo Became this rabid Snarling dog that you were like One phone call away from animal control coming to euthanize it like what in the world happened
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I just had one thing in its mouth and all of a sudden it's it's making noises. I didn't know dogs could make
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Especially when you're dealing with people at this level It's not that they're this profane degenerate in every aspect of their life
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They may have their life put together in all sorts of ways when it comes to spiritual things all of a sudden you go through The mushy softness of the avocado to that hard pit their countenance drops
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They won't hear anything of that. I remember working at a the plastic factory and there was a one of the maintenance workers there a young man named
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Jesse and You know didn't see each other all that often If we did was always pleasant exchanges and so on And I'd always be in the break room with my
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Bible and you know coffee break and there's a couple guys that I always looked forward to kind of catching up up with And Jesse every now and then would sit there and I remember one day
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I kind of came in and I was like halfway in the door and he was he was sort of mocking
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Christianity and he just he just swore at God. He just cursed God And I think he felt a little bad when he kind of saw me and I felt really awkward too.
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And I was kind of like How do we carry on from here? I would have never realized that that was what was bubbling up in his in his heart in his mind about God Pleasant exchanges, but if I if I had pressed in that way, that's the kind of response that would come
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JC Ryle says, of course There's there's people that we may have a hasty judgment toward and we might not expect them at all to the ones who would welcome
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The gospel truth, but we should be reminded tax collectors and prostitutes. Welcome to the gospel truth They were very unlikely in the eyes of first century.
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Holy men Remember the thief on the cross. He wouldn't be a prospect on our list We would have soon write him off.
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Here's one who is surely dog or swine, but he is in the paradise on that very day And so often our only means of deciding
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Dogs or swine whether we're to continue to sow the the light and salt of the gospel is to actually sow the light of the gospel and It's only as that continues with its fits and starts its setbacks and disappointments.
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It's only where we begin to see this consistent Repulsion rejection mockery scorning ridicule even threatening and persecution of the gospel only there
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Do we finally throw our hands up as Paul did in Acts 13 and say we no longer go to you We no longer go to you when it comes to those that we engage.
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We have to use discretion in this way We have to avoid harm to them We have to avoid harm to ourselves or other believers of the
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Church of God But What Jesus is really after is we have to avoid harm to the holy and precious things of the gospel
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That's actually the chief concern in this passage Is their soul a concern yes, it is
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Is our well -being are you in our spiritual and physical well -being a concern? Yes, it is.
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But the chief concern Is that we don't allow God's name or the mysteries of his gospel to be blasphemed and made an open mockery
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That's what Matthew 7 6 is chiefly concerned about don't give what is holy
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To dogs that will turn and tear you and it into pieces don't take the precious things the precious pearls of the kingdom and just throw them into the muck and the filth of mockery and Ridicule and scorn don't do that.
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Jesus said our chief desire as Christians is that God's name would be magnified
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So Matthew 7 6 is saying don't allow God's name to be sullied even the attempt to magnify it through evangelism
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There is a breaking point Jesus teaches as Paul teaches as Peter teaches there's there's consciences that get seared
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There's rejections that essentially condemn one's path This is something that we have to pray over this is something that we can rarely make a quick judgment
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It's something that has to be over a very long and grueling pace How many of our
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Testimonies as brothers and sisters in this church how many of our testimonies had active rebellion?
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Maybe even questions borne by contempt and ridicule that eventually were overcome by Christian love and Christian witness
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And so we are our own examples that you don't give up at first joust You press on but there comes a point where Matthew 7 6 applies.
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I'll put it this way. I was out in Falmouth a few weeks ago. We go down to the Cape every year with my family.
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I'm doing that for 25 years and I always go down and fish and it used to be when
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I would go down there almost every night around sunset you'd see just channels of bait fish coming across this little boat entrance toward the back
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Harbor and you see all the locals come out to cast in and try to catch blue Fish or stripers and it was exhilarating to be there.
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I I Almost never caught him one, you know one year maybe one or two another year none But I'd always get bites and pulls and opportunities and even that was so exciting.
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It kept you going back for more so when I used to go and I'd see all the bait fish and all the locals and I'd see all the
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Water beginning to boil and I knew things were hopping out and getting chased and I'd cast into that and maybe get some tugs
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And some strikes and I'd be out there every single night for hours And then year by year
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I noticed less and less boiling less and less locals less and less bait fish And this past year
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I fished for all of 25 minutes Because there was no bites no strikes No life
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No activity There was no reason to cast into that Do you see the point spiritually there?
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It's it's it's sometimes the prospect the strike the opportunity. There's there's other things the Lord may be using in this in their life
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But ten years on when you keep casting you keep throwing lines and there's never even the slightest glance tug notice
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Seems to be indifferent At some level you stop giving the pearls of the kingdom to one who can't doesn't care they're just trampling it underfoot
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We're to be swift to listen slow to speak slow to become angry
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And yet as we deal with people who are becoming dogs and swine we begin to use discretion
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At what point does my concern or my regard for this person's soul? eclipse
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God's holy name and the holy things of this kingdom. I cannot allow that to be I Cannot give ammunition to a blasphemer.
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That's the idea This means we'll have to be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents
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We're to be careful not to give anyone a cause to blaspheme the name of God That's more condemnation heaped upon them and trying to win them
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You might be ruining them even further giving them more to answer for it the judgment seat of God It's really hard to let people go
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Sometimes of all of our attempts we think it it's on our shoulders and it may be in letting them go Regarding them as a dog or a swine
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That all that see that you've sown into their life may be watered by someone else at some other time in some other place and we take some comfort in some contentment in that when
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Augustine was a young mannequin a immoral debauched young man and his mother
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Monica praying Night and day over his soul and then fearing that she had lost him to hell when he was leaving to go to Rome as a young man to begin his career as this master orator and teacher of rhetoric and it was only in letting her son go fearing the worst that her son actually made his way into the preaching of Ambrose of Milan and became a convert
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So we continue to so see we never lose heart While there's breath there's hope while we pray there's hope but there comes a time where you stop giving what is holy to the dogs
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You you realize that God wants to guard the preciousness of the gospel witness Not just in our words and the things we share but also in our lives in other words
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If we're guarding the things that are holy in the way that we share it We're also guarding the things that are holy in the way that we live
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It's not just out of concern for those that we're witnessing to it's not just out of regard for ourselves
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We have these things as dear and precious because we are those who are named with the name of Christ This is a pearl of great price.
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It's transformative to my life Not only will I not allow it to be sullied by someone's rejection
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I ought not allow it to be sullied by my own loose living my own profanity You see it's a calling in every direction that preserves the name of God the salt and light that belongs to the kingdom
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And so this challenges our own values as much as our discernment. Do you really view?
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That which is holy as holy Do you really view the things that belong to the kingdom like pearls of great price does your life back that up?
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It's a lot easier to give what is holy to dogs when you're living like a dog It's a lot easier to allow
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God's name to be dragged through the mud when you're in the mud to begin with You see it challenges our values.
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It challenges our discernment. Do we really treasure this pearl of great price? Yeah I'm one that appreciates humor and the use of humor in terms of communication
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And I think scripture has elements of sarcasm and humor within it But but I appreciate
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I don't know that I always follow but I appreciate the instinct of the older divines there were professors at Westminster Seminary back in the last century that that would
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That would almost have a stern anger on their face if scripture was ever used as part of a joke
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How dare you take part of God's Holy Revelation and sew it into a joke? See that what
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I what I love about that is The instinct for reverence don't take anything that's holy and allow it to ever be sullied or made light of If we're to hover over every jot and tittle how ought we to regard the holy things of God If we're all the the priests unto
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God a royal priesthood a kingly priesthood What priest in the Old Testament could take their duties likely?
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Wasn't everything Given and revealed in such a way that they felt the immense weight of God's presence and holiness
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Commanding everything that they did So we asked the question am
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I able to follow this command in Matthew 7 6 to not give the things that are holy to those That will tear it apart those that will trample it underfoot.
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They don't care. They laugh they mock But am I able to follow that command or? Can I not follow that command because I'm barely holding the things of the
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Lord to be holy I'm barely seeing the pearl of great price in my own life. That's a question
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So it means that I in terms of my witness in terms of being salt and light in Terms of caring for others and loving my neighbor.
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I I have to have a real concern for self What's my life?
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What's what's my witness? How am I regarding these things? I have to start there. I Just start with a
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I have to move on to in light of that a concern for others a Concern for others
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I See these things. I prize these things My whole life has been transformed by these things.
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I want that for this person. I want someone else to see this I found the pearl I want I want to show it
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So now my my concern my reaction is now being brought over to a concern for others the way
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I do that means that I'm concerned for others for their For their position
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I see clearly it's not it's not spiritual pride. It's not self -righteousness. I'm not there to do
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Anything that will boost my ego. Oh, I I bested them in debate They came to me at the lunch break.
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They asked me a question. I should have seen my brilliant answer We're not there to boost our own ego.
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That's not a true concern for the other We're not there to do apologetic judo and put them in some sort of arm bar and say by what standard by what standard?
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Yeah, look look how superior my arguments are not a real concern for the other
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Jesus gave very little had often asked a question But my concern for myself my own life my own reaction and transformation my own witness and my concern for the other for their soul for their well -being for my yearning for them to be brought out of darkness into light for for the
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Iron grip and bondage of sin and its misery to be broken in their life even that yearning Has to be underneath my concern for the holy name of God and the holy things of his kingdom
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Because conversion and salvation is all about magnifying the name of God Praising and showing forth his work conversion mission is about worship
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And so the degree that it's all about the other all about the self We're not doing the first thing about being salt or light the first thing about mission or conversion
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We're not actually able to be evangelistic if these things aren't being driven by our ultimate Overarching love for the name of God the holy things of God you see that's why
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Matthew 7 6 exists We must realize that the gospel is going to divide the gospel is going to Attract those who see and hear and find it to be this fragrance of life
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Here's something I've been looking for without looking for it my entire life Here's something I've been running from without knowing
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I was running from it my entire life. Here's the thing that defines me Here's the thing that reveals who
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I am Here's the thing that's shown me who God is Here's the horror of the judgment of what
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I've done. Here's the glorious good news of what he has done for me It's that glorious fragrance that leads to life and then the stench of death that men hate and they want to get rid of it
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What have we been learning on Sunday nights at church history? Men love darkness rather than light haven't we've been seeing that again and again
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And that stench that odor that that Repugnant presence if we can just get rid of it if we can just purge it if we can just mute it if we can just Muzzle it
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Jesus says don't you give what is holy to those kinds of dogs don't Don't take the pearls of the kingdom and throw it into that kind of chaotic filth.
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Don't do it The gospel is going to divide it's going to make that kind of impact a sword will come it's gonna cut through your own household
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Jesus didn't come to bring peace Between all men in all places at all times
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Sometimes in the closest most intimate most difficult relationships the sword of the gospel has cut clean and severed
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It's painful what we have to realize is where the gospel goes forth.
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There's both those Who are being saved who find it to be the aroma of life and those?
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Who are condemned that rejected as the very stench of death? The gospel is going to divide there's going to be an opposition that is hardened to it and Continues to become hardened to it even while others are showing interest faint interest perhaps
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Curiosity we take everything we can get if I get a strike if I get a tug on my line, so to speak
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Even if I don't reel anything in I'm gonna keep fishing But if there's nothing year after year after year
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But a trampling underfoot Throwing holy things of God into indifferent apathy and even mockery and scorn
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Then Matthew 7 6 says I need to start regarding the name and the holy things of God Shake the dust off my sandals and go elsewhere
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Now the Lord Jesus is not telling us that we are to one and done evangelism
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Now they heard the gospel. That was it Again how many of our testimonies were over months or even years before the seed that was being sown began to take root and blossom
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So no one here is the sort of one -and -done It's not a by before midnight kind of proposition Especially for those that were related to for those that were around we know that there's going to be an ongoing
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Sowing and witnessing for a long time. He's not saying well, there's some people that are so sinful that they're beyond the kingdom
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Every sin that's committed against God will be forgiven men Except for the unforgivable sin blasphemy in the
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Holy Spirit Every sin you've never met anyone Who's done something in their mind that is so foul that they cannot be forgiven
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And so no one needs to well, I'd love to but I got to clean myself up. I'm living like a dog or a swine
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That's not what we're talking about here. This is what the gospel came. Jesus says those who are well don't need a physician.
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I Came for those who are on their deathbed and they realize it and they're crying out for help The Lord Jesus, of course spent time with people who were notoriously sinful inside of inside of the community that he lived in So he's not telling us don't reach out to those people the people that the
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Pharisee and the priest and the Levite avoid He says actually draw near to those people that's the people that he spent time with listen,
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I think one of the most difficult things to understand is Why Jesus could be charged as the
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Holy One of God The one who would never take the holy things entrusted to him by his father and allow them to be sullied and scorned in the
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Mockeries of the Scribes and the Pharisees. Why is it that they could charge him with being a friend of sinners?
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That's a really perplexing question. How is it that Jesus could be charged as a friend of sinners?
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However, I think I'm doing Matthew 7 6 in my life. I always have to ask the question Could could my opponents could my
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Watchers charge me with being a friend of sinners. I Don't know look at Ross All always going shoulder to shoulder with people that are just so despicable.
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Look at Ross Sharing meals with people that if only he knew the half of what they're like look at Ross, right?
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Or look at you. Could you be charged with being a friend of sinners? Whatever whatever you think Matthew 7 6 means
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It does not mean that you move to the monastery and have nothing to do with the world
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Didn't Paul say that in 1st Corinthians 5 when I told you not to associate with those who are immoral I didn't mean those in the world.
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Otherwise, you got to go out of the world. That's what he lays down to the church What's what's implied with that?
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Paul expects you're gonna have to associate with those who are immoral in the world How you do that is going to be as salt and light as bearers of the transformative power of the gospel of God up to the point that those who are witnesses to it are
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Not becoming dogs or swine That's essentially what's taking place here. So you're a friend of sinners, but you will not give holy things to dogs
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You're full of compassion You're like Paul in 1st Corinthians 9 becoming all things to all men that by all means you might win some but even then
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You will not throw pearls into the pigsty You see these things balance each other out
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Jesus is saying there will be times hard times sad times Patient times where we will need to take care not to put the gospel in a position
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Where it will be blasphemed by a hardened Christ rejecting sinner That means as a Christian you need to learn how to live with rejection
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I know we all know this in some level We've all been rejected at one place or another but you need to get very comfy with that idea with that experience
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Yeah, some people that are very very close to you some of us have Perhaps not been in the kingdom of God very long.
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I'm speaking especially to you I'm speaking to you here. If you're just haven't lived long and you're young You need to get very comfortable with rejection if you're a
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Christian You can't smell nice to everyone you meet you just got to get comfortable with that And to the degree that you're smelling nice to everyone that you know woe to you
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Woe to you when all men could speak well of you. So one of the lessons we learned from this is to live with rejection
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Live in light of the sword live in light of the scorn We carry on Perhaps as lot had to carry on in Sodom and in different ways
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But we carry on we vex our righteous souls day by day because of the immorality that surrounds us
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But we will not take what is holy and give it to dogs well, let me let me come to a little bit of a close and there's
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There's a I think a an encouragement here. There's a warning here and there's really a
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Beautiful display of the gospel here as well The encouragement is simply this
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Study how Jesus related to people The people that he treated as dogs and swine were the only people that didn't think themselves to be dogs and swine
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Study that Study that the people he said leave them alone avoid them We're not the people that We would think reading or even perhaps living in society today as dogs and swine
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Those are the people Jesus ate with those are the people Jesus taught It's actually the people that didn't need it at all the people that had arrived people that seemed so well put together
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Those are the ones that were avoided. Those are the ones that didn't receive the pearls of the kingdom. So study that discern that Understand the way that Jesus relates see his patience
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He allows critics to come he answers charges. He's patient. How patient is he with his disciples? How patient is he with Peter?
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How patient is he with Thomas study these things? Don't don't be quick to label anyone or anything be patient be prayerful be purposeful but recognize at the end of the day, there is a difference between Pilate and Herod at the end of the day.
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There's a difference between the Gentiles or the synagogues in Antioch At the end of the day we're called to make moral judgments and discern who it is that we're dealing with Not all rejection of Christ is the same
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So how you fish and where you fish and how long you fish? Matters if you're a fisher of men
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But then consider of course what else we see in the Gospels When when
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Jesus comes to a fig tree He expects to find fruit You've heard things
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You've heard enough. Maybe you've seen things that God these Christians aren't all they're chalked up to be Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble.
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Yeah, we're sinners saved by grace But you've heard
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You've seen you've been taught in other words seed has been sown in your life
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That seed has been watered. It's received light. Not perfectly not consistently, but it's received it and Jesus the
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Lord comes looks at your life and he expects to find something With all that seed with all that light with all that water with all that nurture with all that time.
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He's expecting to find fruit And when he comes near and he finds no fruit
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He puts his prophetic finger against the leaves and says you'll never bear fruit again
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It is a terrorizing prospect to be a dog that no longer receives holy things
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It is a terrorizing prospect To live in the muck of the earth and no longer find any pearls coming your way.
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I say that as a warning Jesus says to the cities of Khoras in and it was it was better for Sodom and Gomorrah to burn in sulfuric fire
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Then it will be in judgment because of what you've heard what you've received what's been demonstrated in front of you and you rejected it
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There's no remedy God is long -suffering.
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God is not willing that any should perish. But what is this verse saying today? The one that is rebuked and hardens his neck destruction comes upon him swiftly without delay
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He's looking for fruit praise God as our sisters said from prayer on Thursday from Isaiah 59 1
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God's arm is not so short that he cannot save praise God And for some of us he had to stretch his arm for a long time in a long way into our lives
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But don't you think his patience is always that long? His wrath is kindled in a moment
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There is no safety living in the sty Treating the gospel witness as a dog I say this to younger children growing up with Christian influence and maybe you're on the verge or about to be on the verge of Leaving your home
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Finally get away from all these holy rollers and these weirdos Finally, I can live normal It's gonna be embarrassing when they ask me about my child and I have to mention church
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I'll be able to roll my eyes and say, you know what? It's like with religious fanatics for parents and listen
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There will come a day when every pearl that was put before you
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When every gleam and glimmer of light Shining off the holy things that were set before you will condemn you and it will be your misery and agony for eternity
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God's arm is not so short that it cannot save but God's patient Patience is not so long that it will endure forever
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So in Hebrews 4 which is quoting Psalm 95 we read Today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the days of rebellion don't harden your heart stop reacting to the gospel like a dog or like swine if If as a preacher said if Jesus Christ will not allow his own
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Servants to continue to witness to you. Do you think his spirit will bear with you forever? But then here's the great gospel.
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Hope Let's say you've been a dog let's say you've been a swine you have trampled on the holy things of God You've received that witness you could care less.
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You're not you don't even flinch Your conscience is so seared that you can barely react to things that are obscene
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Hideous graphic and things that are pleasant and sweet and good Maybe you've been that pig.
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Maybe you've been trampling on the things of God throughout these years. Maybe you're a dog Tearing at rejecting reacting aggressively against those who
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Imperfectly are still trying to be a witness out of concern for your soul out of love for your life Well, here's the good news.
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Here's the comfort in Psalm 22. We have
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Jesus prophetically in this description on the cross He looks over from the cross.
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He sees his his garments being divided up. They're casting lots for them He looks down in verses 17 he can count all his bones they look and they stare
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His strength he says is dried up like a pot shirt. His tongue is clean to his jaws He's crying out to his father for mercy, but the father seems to have forsaken him
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And so he says you're bringing me to the dust of death He's enduring that for the joy that set before him
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He's enduring that for the sake of his people of his bride and he says there in Psalm 22 Dogs have surrounded me
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Dogs have surrounded me dogs tearing at my flesh dogs because in Matthew 7 6
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We do have this picture of the gospel Matthew 7 6 in a very real and practical sense is calling us not to give what is holy to the dogs
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But the mercy of the gospel Is that he who is holy was given to the dogs
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He who is holy Surrounded by these ravenous bloodthirsty
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Mauling dogs and he sees them and he in compassion. He says father forgive them
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And he offers himself he gives his flesh to those dogs to be torn up When when one of one of those little dogs comes by him a woman from Canaan She says have mercy have mercy on me.
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My daughter is possessed by a thing. I don't know what to do I just know that I need you I know that you're the one who has mercy you have mercy on me and Jesus Knows what he taught in Matthew 7 6.
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He knows what he preached from the Sermon on the Mount. He knows woman The bread that's for the children can't go to the dogs
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And she says yes, but even a crumb a dog can eat the bread of his own flesh
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Being given to the dogs that surround him that the bread of his own life Given to sustain and nurture us to you see there's hope for dogs
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There is hope for swine. There's hope for those who are by nature children of wrath just like the others
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There's hope who are yet enemies Cursed and rejected Christ to be conquered by an irresistible grace adopted by the
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Spirit brought into the kingdom of God. Amen Jesus said to that woman.
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Oh woman great is your faith Let it be as you desire.
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What's your desire? You want to keep wallowing in the mire? You want to keep going back to your vomit? Or do you desire to partake of this holy bread be sustained by this holy life?
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the desire to know This dog and swine saving Savior who ultimately gave what was holy to the likes of us
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That we might praise his name bask in his mercy revel in his majesty and praise him to the very end of our days and Amen Do not give what is holy to the dogs nor cast your pearls before swine
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Lest they trample them with their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. May God help us
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To pray for those that are dogs and swine But to ever seek his mercy
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Let's pray Father we thank you for your word
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Lord bless it to us. These things are not easy to discern Lord We all have relationships in our mind
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Perhaps Lord we've not engaged or interacted in ways that we should have Lord. May this verse lead us to engage more
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To not fear rejection or have a fear of man But Lord to be more faithful more purposeful as salt and light to be fishers of men
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Lord not losing heart when the waters are calm But praying that there would be a bite to strike a pull a struggle knowing that You are the
01:01:54
God who reels in the great catch that would capsize the boat of the church You are the God of the harvest though some so and some water you were the
01:02:03
God who gives growth My father help us in these relationships not only to discern those that we need to engage more
01:02:09
But perhaps even those that we need to engage less Let not our witness be a means of blaspheming your holy name for Lord That's the whole point of our witness is that your name would not be blasphemed
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That your name would be treated and lifted up as holy for it is holy for you or more Yet we
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Lord we know that the gospel must go forth as a fragrance of life to those you're saving and That's a stench of death to those that are perishing
01:02:35
Help us to go forth Lord Not discouraged not set back not impatient not quick to judge
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But be as you are Lord Willing to give even crumbs to the dogs willing
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Lord not to allow our foot to to Quench out that smoking flax or our hand to break that bruised reed
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Lord. Let us be ministers of the gospel ambassadors of Reconciliation those who love peace and mercy
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Father, I pray that you would do this work in our church Help us to be evangelistic in these ways
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Out of worship out of love for your name that we would hold by our own lives by our own way of walking how precious the
01:03:18
Things of the kingdom are to us Forgive us Lord if we walk in profanity and are no different than the rest
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Help us Lord To regard the things we share as holy because we're living and regarding them as holy ourselves.