Jesus: the Master Encourager (Part 1)

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Welcome to No Compromise Radio NCR D G R Almost sound like I said

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DG Hart, didn't it? Daryl Hart has a little place in Massachusetts And I think he's there in the summertime.

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So I met up with him and we met in either Haverhill Lowell Somewhere in the middle equidistant and had lunch and We had been on the same speaking panel at the

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Pactam conference in 2023 What was that? I don't even know what that conference was on Pat what was the title?

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I know 2024 was a law of God. I know 2025 is the gospel But what was last year's

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I don't know. It had something to do with maybe justification I I was given the myth of final justification as a topic.

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I changed it to the lie of Final justification and then they made a t -shirt out of it and I took one

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That was the nice thing about being a speaker this year. Pat said I could just grab whatever I want so I think I walked away with a

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With a special long -sleeve Pactam shirt. I had a Pactam short -sleeve t -shirt.

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I got the do this and live Sweatshirt Actually got two of those because I I packed

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Luke's my son Luke got one. He was there as well And so I got his somehow in my suitcase.

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I'll give it to him this this Christmas And what else did I get Pactam stuff Pactam stickers?

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I got Pactam hot sauce Scoville salute us

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I got All kinds of free stuff. I picked up a vesco book for free.

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I Picked up a vendor in a book for free. I would just tell Pat. These are the things that I took so then

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They can run it by the accounting firm all my Bible Church great job hosting

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Pat Avendroth great job running the whole thing. I bet you Pat was tired after all We usually go on bicycle rides and either he was too tired to ride

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Or he knew I was too slow after all my leukemia kovat stuff and everything else. And by the way, thank you

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Dear no -compromise radio listeners for what you haven't done lately What do

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I mean by that You haven't sent me any Mike you can cure your leukemia if you just look at me if you just eat enough cinnamon right, you're supposed to have a entire

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Cup of cinnamon every day and it'll cure your leukemia Now, I'm not really into big pharma.

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I have a lot of distrust Regarding The episodes of the last three or four years in terms of science.

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It's like that Thomas the Thomas Dolby blinded me with science But anyway,

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I'm just glad you don't send me those things I think you send them out of love when I had prostate cancer I was getting all kinds of things don't have any type of radiation or anything else

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Instead go to hyperbaric chambers, by the way, where is the nearest hyperbaric chamber you forget?

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I live in, Massachusetts Central, Massachusetts in the church. I live right close to the church.

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The church is in West Boylston a town of 7 ,000 people and It's hard to get gas here at night

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It gets dark and it gets dark in the winter at 4 10 p .m No wonder when people come in for counseling and they're depressed and down and their marriages are bad

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Well, yeah, take some D and when it's 4 10 and starts to get dark go to the gym

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That's the best thing you can do around 5 o 'clock. Go to the gym wakes you up a little bit So you don't have all kinds of depression problems and make sure you take your

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D You can sit outside all day long. You can ski outside in the mountain all day long in the

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Sun You can't get enough D the way the Sun is angled. So anyway, thanks for not sending me the you can cure your cancer

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If you only go to the your nearest hyperbaric hyperbolic That's would be good

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That's the new thing a hyperbolic chamber hyperbole hyperbolic chamber hyper barometric chamber

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Today I want to talk to you a little bit about Motivation I want to talk to you about encouragement if I had asked you the question

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Who's your biggest encourager? I wonder what you would say Who's the one that encourages you?

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Encourages you along maybe you sin you fall short you do something dumb.

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You didn't do something you're supposed to do but somebody loves you anyway, and somebody encourages you not to keep on sinning, but just Well, you know while you're in the depths of it all there.

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They're there. They love you. No matter what I Wonder who your biggest encourager is My mother encouraged me a lot when

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I was younger. She was I think my biggest encourager For a long long time maybe up until she died.

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I don't really know my dad I Have lots of fond memories of dad

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But he didn't encourage me that much and I don't know if it was the alcohol I don't know if it's just that generation.

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You know it's that kind of German stoic stayed We don't really say how much we love you

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We just show it by going to work every day and in that regard he did he protected he provided Made sure we had some fun

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I just drove by the house that I grew up in to show my my girls who were at the Pactum conference as well I did the same with Luke last year

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Luke my son and by the way Luke is pastoring preaching at with another two with the team of men and Renee Johnstead and Andrew and Redemption Church, North County, it's in San Diego area, so if you're there you need to swing by they're growing

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Right. We want church growth Numbers are up to the Lord, but we want the church to grow in maturation.

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So that's what's happening. I've got a couple staying at our house even this week who are Going to Redemption Church, North County, and I think you're gonna hear the man on noco radio in the next couple weeks more on that later cinnamon hyperbaric chambers hyperbolic

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Nocos, who's your biggest encourager? Sometimes I think people

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Forget that when it comes to motivation the way Jesus acted around his apostles and disciples

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Isn't even considered How Jesus the master Jesus the master teacher

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Jesus the master teacher and encourager? How he encouraged people and I have really thought about this much

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I mean, of course the paraclete the comforter the one that comes alongside the Holy Spirit you could probably think of that Maybe you could think of you know

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Your spouse is an encourager or something, but I want today to think about Jesus the master encourager

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And as you know, I've been preaching through the book of Luke and so this is not gonna be like a sermon But just working through this because that's just what

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I like to do on noco radio I mean, what would you do if you had five shows a week to do I did read this week?

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That Renan said Luke is the most beautiful book in the world Why do people love it so much

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Stonehouse the biographer of Machen said it tells delightfully

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It tells so delightfully the incomparable story of Jesus the Christ Of course, you know why

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Luke is written and some will say like Stonehouse People knew about Jesus when

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Luke was writing his gospel But they didn't really have a lot of information it was just bits and pieces dribs and drabs it was fragments and Luke is gonna make sure they understand everything.

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And of course, it's the longest gospel in the New Testament and Jesus in chapter 6 is going to try to encourage the disciples

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So now let's think big picture just for a little fun here on noco radio duplex gratia radio

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By the way, this this part right here is serious. I I can make the jump to duplex gratia radio if possible

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But if you're out there listening and you have any design aptitude you have any way to Work on an app or anything like that with you could help me with shirts and this and that Email me

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Mike at no compromise radio .com. I can't really pay you. Maybe I'll buy you some, you know books or something, but If I can redo this and like do one -tenth of what

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Pat does we're gonna be fine, but seriously Jesus is in the mode of teaching his disciples

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I was gonna say he's in jute and Luke 6, but that just kind of sounded dumb and he's

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Teaching a passage that we often call the Sermon on the Plain Not the

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Sermon on the Mount Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew what five to seven and the

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Sermon on the Plain is found in Luke 6 and What Jesus is doing is?

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he's Giving the disciples Technically in the context

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Apostles that he chose the twelve he's giving them some reassurance

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He's going to tell them you're going to work for me. You're my ambassadors my Apostles my sent -out ones and Ministry is going to be hard The suffering servant

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Jesus has servants who suffer Apostles and everyone else who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ And he wants to make sure that they realize how many blessings they have

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Before he sends them out because it's not going to be easy and That's the way to think about the

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Sermon on the Plain Because there are other ways to think about the Sermon on the Plain and the way

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I was always taught was Do you know what this is kind of? intro into the kingdom

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This is something like you know what? It's an evangelistic exhortation, but I don't think it has anything to do with that Now a little more talk about the

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Sermon on the Mount the Sermon on the Plain Luke 6 Matthew 5. What are your options? Because they're different blessed of the poor blessed of the poor in spirit one is

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Luke and one of us as Matthew 5 is one Luke shortened is

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That the case. Well, yeah, it is shortened And so if you're like Augustine you say two different sermons deliver different times

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One was on the mountain one came down from mountain. I went on this little level spot and two different sermons

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I mean I preach two different sermons, right? I've almost exactly the same but not quite exactly All right

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If I preach one here and then go to Omaha Bible Church and preach there'll be a little different people like Calvin would say

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Yeah, two two versions of the same sermon just Luke Calvin didn't say this but others have said it

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Luke is talking to Gentile. So he takes out some kind of Jewish stuff but the big thing

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I want you to know is this is a an encouragement given to the disciples

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They're already believers Not to the crowds, but to the disciples. These are people that are going to be persecuted for the

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Son of Man that doesn't sound like an Unbeliever to me that doesn't sound evangelistic.

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These are people that are already believing they're gonna be persecuted because of me Matthew 5 11 here in Luke.

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It says persecuted for the Son of Man and really that's the key really to this entire section Everything for the

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Son of Man because poverty or riches Apart from the Son of Man in your relationship to him It doesn't really matter if you're poor or rich or anything else whether it's spiritual figurative literally all the above a couple of the above It's because of your relationship to Jesus I think this is for believers without a doubt because there's a reward that that they were going to get in Luke chapter 6 verse 23 and also you'll see how often the

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Old Testament has parallels as Old Testament believers need to be encouraged and comforted

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So this is really as some people have called that I think Warren Wiersbe called it an ordination sermon for the

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Apostle slash Disciples as he sends them out Luke 6 20 and he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said so What do you tell a bunch of guys who?

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short of John who essentially Instead of being martyred.

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It was something maybe just as bad exiled on Patmos You know reminds me of you know escape from New York with snake

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Plissen the snake and snake snake Plissken Kurt Russell the other day

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I Found to be

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TV and it's another streaming service like Hulu and Like, you know,

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I don't know peacock Speak out good one. Yeah, and you don't have to register and they've got leave it to beaver all the seasons

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I thought that's kind of fun to watch. I mean, it's moralism, but it's fun moralism innocent and then they had the thing on there

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The 50s and then that remember the thing was redone with with Kurt Russell in it

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I can't remember who the director was, but he was John Carpenter, I think that's it.

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Anyway, what does it have to do with anything? I don't know. I just thinking about the thing I needed to take a

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Little break. Sometimes I have to take a deep breath and you like it when I do don't you I Know you do All right.

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I've got to get some new sounds over here. We just have like they're all the same aren't they? right,

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I Mean that that one's a little different, but if you're not 65 years old like Christian Harris, you'd never know the difference

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Here's an ordination sermon to encourage The men who are going out to do the tough job of ministry

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Satan is real spiritual warfare is real sin is real death is real sickness is real and Jesus is going to try to encourage them and spur them on it's going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it

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Essentially Jesus is trying to encourage them the great encourager the master Encourager for reassurance

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And he he turns his gaze He lifts up his eyes and he's going to teach them and he says four times here

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You're blessed to encourage them. You're blessed when it comes to the

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Son of Man Your relationship to me by faith. You have real blessings no matter what's going on in your life

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Whether it is literal hunger Spiritual hunger whether it's literal poverty or spiritual poverty

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You have me and I'm going to encourage you and I'm going to build you up I'm gonna put you in this quick little boot camp and tell you that you're gonna be ready

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And the way you are going to frame everything is your relationship to me and he says here are four blessings

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Essentially he says and that's not a quote designed to motivate people for gospel ministry. So I said like that so you could be encouraged to yes directly given to the disciples the twelve that were chosen

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Maybe there's a few others that are looking around but Jesus is communicating that there's

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They're not gonna have to do this alone. In other words, that's hard for me to say That's hard for me to say and he says four times blessed now most everybody when they see the word blessed and I don't know even even the

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You know what? I'm gonna do. I'd like to know what the message Bible Says about this

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Let's just type in right now By and this is gonna be something that I can help you with as I type this in Bible hub.

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I met a man named Brian. He lives in Washington and He just got some the

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Logos Bible program 700 bucks I said we could have just gotten a Bible hub comm and they have all these different translations and You can just easily access them and so where is the message

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Bible on Bible? hub, huh Well so far

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It doesn't have it Message Bible.

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All right. Let's see if that finds it We do not have that and that's sad

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Okay, I found it Message Bible You're blessed when you've lost it all

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God's kingdom is there for the finding you're blessed when you're ravenously hungry Then you're ready for the messianic meal.

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You're blessed when the tears freely flow joy comes with the morning Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me

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What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable

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You can be glad when that happens skip like a lamb if you like for even though they didn't like it

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I do and all the heaven applauds and know that you're in good company My preachers and my witnesses have always been treated like this

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By the way, he goes on to give some woes and this is even worse But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made

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What you have is all you'll get it's trouble ahead. It's trouble ahead. It's trouble ahead for blessings for woes

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Woes are a lot more than trouble ahead Believe me

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But back to the point bless it. It's not just happy. It essentially means approved by God Approved by God favored by God Describing someone who

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God says yes, this is right in a condescending gracious way. He approves this person

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It is a word of kindness and sovereign grace, and it's not if you do these things you'll be blessed If you are these things you become blessed.

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No, it's a pronouncement. It's a declaration Stott says this is what God thinks of them.

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They're blessed. You might not feel like it You might not be in a good circumstance. You might not be happy, but you're blessed

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Hugh said contrary to popular opinion blessed does not mean happy happiness as a subjective state a feeling

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But Jesus is not declaring how people feel rather. He's making an objective statement about what

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God thinks of them Blessed is a positive judgment by God on the individual. That means to be approved to find approval

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Blessedness is not simply a nice wish from God. It is a pronouncement of what we actually are approved

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So your approval might not be with the world it won't be but Jesus is saying

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God approves of you Disciples Apostles and of course in Christ all those that would believe you are blessed

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It's a promise you're blessed it's going to be difficult

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But you're blessed. Oops. Just hit the microphone Theology of the cross and theology of glory.

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You're not in the theology of glory now. It's not all prosperity and and Wine and roses and everything else.

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No, it's cross before the crown What's a blessed person look like? Well in just a moment.

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He's gonna talk about hunger and poverty and weeping it might not really add up But Jesus wants you to know

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Anybody who's going to serve him here particularly the Apostles. It's not going to be easy, but it'll be worth it

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It's not going to be easy, but it'll be worth it. What's your relationship to the Lord? You are blessed and he

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Jesus knows that he they need to be encouraged and equipped. And so he says the first blessedness

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Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. This is not an evangelistic call.

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This is an encouragement Declaration Blessed are you who are poor now

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Matthew's Sermon on the Mount is blessed of the poor in spirit I think we get that one a little easier Right, they have nothing to bring they have nothing to offer the recipients of grace

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No righteousness of themselves. No dependence on self Everything, you know when it comes to their countenance spiritually, they're needy.

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They're beggars I think we get that one maybe a little bit easier But this one isn't really that much harder to believe or understand

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Blessed are you who are poor and I think the ESV study Bible has a great little note in here

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It says in the Old Testament the poor Same word in the

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Septuagint the Greek version of the Old Testament Hebrew frequently refers to the pious poor who look to and depended on God Okay, just think about that for a second if you're poor and you have nothing

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And you don't have a credit card. You don't have a freezer. You don't have a refrigerator. You don't have

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Like seeds for next year. You don't have plants. You don't have crop and you've got kids and you're all hungry

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You probably cry out to God You'd look to and depend on God and that's exactly what poor people do

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They can't find What they need and so they have to rely on God and not themselves

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And as many have written about this would say you have a need any need including food

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Any need including health any need including clothing any need even spiritually?

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You have to wait on God. God must be the one who gives it to you because you don't have the resources

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And that goes for things on earth and things in eternity Do you have what you need to get to heaven in and of yourself?

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Or would you be poor when it comes to those resources? Every blessing that you have in Christ.

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Jesus is something that's to be received not earned not work for Not even it's because you prayed you got it.

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No. No, it's all grace and sovereign grace And of course a sidelight to all this is you begin to think

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I'm not really Better than anybody else because I'm poor so The disciples, of course are going out.

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They're not rich people in terms of finances. They're going to be poor They're not taking much with them

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But trust in God Understanding they're dependent upon him Jesus makes the proclamation.

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He makes a declaration. He encourages them as he's building them up for the battle I think

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Ligon Duncan said that. Ligonier Duncan, you know, he's the new face of Ligonier Ministries, R .C.

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Sproul. Ligonier Duncan Maybe Ligon, middle name is Ear.

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Ligon Ear Duncan See what we've devolved to? I hit my knee and then

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I hit the table and we make sounds and then Spencer has to take It out. Spencer Can you kind of take care of that for me?

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All right, good. When I hit my knee, I should just do one of these sounds poverty

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We're not talking about Just you don't have any money Although they didn't have any money and if you don't have any money you rely on God and so that kind of person is blessed

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Your relationship to the Son of Man blessed You by sovereign grace realize that Jesus is according to Heidelberg catechism the chief prophet and teacher who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption and To be our only high priest who by one sacrifice of his body

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Has redeemed us and makes continual intercession with the Father for us and also to be our eternal

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King Who governs us by his Word and Spirit and who defends and preserves us in the enjoyment of that salvation.

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He has purchased for us You believe that? By grace and by grace alone and you were by the way, you'll receive blessings on earth and the ultimate blessings in Heaven can you imagine heavenly joys and glories?

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Blessed are the poor matter of fact Jesus back in Luke. He was sent to preach the gospel to the poor so these disciples hear this from Jesus and They think you know what we can depend on God For our salvation and for everything else.

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I Think maybe Paul learned this lesson. Does this sound something similar to that? Paul said for to me to live as Christ and to die as gain

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I mean Jesus said if you're poor, you know, but blessed are the poor for yours is the kingdom and Then you march out and you do the ministry and you think everything about me is is

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About the Lord Jesus and if I die, it's gonna be gained matter of fact Most of the Apostles according to church tradition did die as martyrs.

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I mean everybody dies We know that but as a martyr to live as Christ and to die as gain not to live as money

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Of his fame everything else to live as Christ and to die as gain

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Paul goes on to say if I'm going to live on in the flesh. This will mean fruitful labor for me. I Do not know which one to choose

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But I'm hard -pressed from both directions Having a desire to depart and be with Christ for that is far much better But in the meantime,

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I'm gonna serve because I'm know my relationship with the Lord the master encourager the master teacher the master himself

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Encourages his disciples and tells him this is what it's gonna be like and you are a blessed person

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Faith alone in Christ Jesus not dependent upon yourself for anything on this earth or for eternal life