The Greatness of Christ: Part 2

Redeeming Grace Church

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Well, today marks Redeeming Grace Church's sixth anniversary and it's been a glorious privilege to be part of what

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God has been doing in and through us since 2018. We've had many battles, many folk come and go, ebb and flow, some legit, some for other reasons, but nevertheless, we're still here praising the

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Lord Jesus Christ together and what God has brought us through. And glory be to Christ.

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Amen. Glory be to Him. As the old hymn says, little is much when God's in it.

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And I'd like to say this in the opening part of this message. I'm so thankful to be part of serving the

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Lord Jesus Christ at Redeeming Grace Church and serving you as God's servant.

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And I'm privileged and I'm humbled by this. Here at Redeeming Grace Church, I believe it's very fitting, a fitting verse of scripture that marks

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Redeeming Grace Church's anniversary actually goes along with today's message.

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And I believe this is like what we like to see is and desire more than anything else is that Jesus Christ will be preeminent in all things.

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That means first place in all things, that He is first because it's His church. Colossians 1 verse 18, chapter 1 verse 18 says this, and He, Jesus Christ, He is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things, not some things, all things, all things,

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He may have the preeminence, that He may be first place in all things that we do.

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I love what Warren Wisbee says. I just read this quote recently this week concerning Christ and having preeminence.

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He says this, God is glorified when people see the master and not the minister.

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Amen. We desire to see Jesus. That is our desire here, is to see the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Just as John the Baptist says in John 3 .30, he cried out, he says, he must increase, but I must decrease.

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He sets a model for every minister. Christ must increase, a must.

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I must decrease. And Jesus said of all men that's been born of women, there was none greater than John the

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Baptist. And if he says that of himself, how much more shall every minister in this entire country, entire world as far as that goes, should have that same cry.

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John MacArthur, pastor out of California, says this about this text in John 3 .30.

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He called it the first law of ministry. He says this, time again, humility is the first law of ministry and all faithful and audible ministers make much of Christ and nothing of themselves.

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Praise his name. That's why we're here. It's all about Jesus Christ and he is to be glorified.

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Praise God. Now, in saying that, if you have your

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Bibles, please turn with me to the gospel of John as we continue our journey. And we are really at an important passage about the personal testimony of the

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Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 5. Gospel of John chapter 5.

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And let me say this as you turn there with me about the gospel of John.

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As you well know, the whole theme in the gospel of John is really about the deity of Jesus Christ, his divinity.

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And time and time again you see believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, believe. That word is mentioned over probably a hundred times in this gospel.

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But the theme of John's gospel is the divinity of Jesus Christ, his deity.

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That he is the son of man is also the son of the living God. As we see this in this glorious gospel that Jesus Christ refers to himself as the great

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I am. All the I am statements concerning Jesus Christ that comes from his lips and which he reveals comes from the gospel of John.

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It is literally given 23 times in the gospel, in this gospel. And several of these he joins his

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I am statements seven times. Seven tremendous metaphors which are expressive of his saving relationship toward the world.

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I'm going to give you just a few. We find this in the gospel of John and this refers to Jesus Christ as being the great

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I am. That Jesus Christ is God in flesh.

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The second person of the Trinity come in flesh, incarnate. In John 6, 35 and verse 41 and verse 48 and verse 51 he refers to himself as I am the bread of life.

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In John 8, 12 Jesus says I am the light of the world. In John 10, 7 verse 9

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Jesus says I am the door of the sheep. In John 10 verse 11 and 14

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Jesus says I am the good shepherd. In John 11, 25

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Jesus again says I am the resurrection and the life. In John 14, 6

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Jesus once again proclaims that he says I am the way the truth and the life.

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And in John 15, 1 and in verse 5 he says I am the true vine.

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And if you notice time and time again he refers to himself as I am. He told the

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Jews, the religious crowd before Abraham was I am.

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I am. And this of course comes from Exodus chapter 3 as you're well familiar with it which the

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Jews were so familiar with. And verse 14 in Exodus God said to Moses I am who

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I am the self -existent God and he said thus you shall say to the children of Israel I am has sent me to you.

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Now we come to this chapter chapter 5 in John and the

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Jews truly understood what Jesus was saying when he was saying he was equal with God.

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Let me read the text to you it's a tremendous text in chapter 5 and I'm going to begin with verse 16 to read to verse 30.

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This message today we're just going to scratch the surface on this but it's going to introduce everything that what is being said in this in this great text before us.

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We see the honor of the father and the son all the way through verse 16 through 23.

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I'll read to verse 23 beginning with verse 16. Hear the word of the living God.

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For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the

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Sabbath. And Jesus answered them and said my father has been working until now and I have been working.

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Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his father making himself equal with God.

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And then Jesus answered and said to them most assuredly I say to you the son could do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do.

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For whatever he does the son also does in like manner. For the father loves the son and shows himself shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel.

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For as the father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the son gives life to whom he will.

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For the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that all should honor the son just as they honor the father.

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And he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him.

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Let's stop right there and let's bow in prayer. Our father and our God as you have revealed in your word we say hallowed be thy name.

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You are the most holy God holy holy holy Lord God almighty.

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And now we could say our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name.

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Father our prayer is that you will glorify your own name this morning. Just not here but anywhere the gospel is being preached today.

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Father and you glorify it by thy word. And we need the help of thy holy spirit because we realize father that the letter kills but the spirit gives life.

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And father we pray that as you honor yourself through your word and through your son the

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Lord Jesus Christ in whom you are well pleased by the spirit.

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Lord open the eyes of our hearts that we may see

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Jesus and Jesus only. And change us forever by that grace and mercy.

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And we pray this for your honor and glory in Jesus name amen. In these verses of scripture from which

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I've just read to you in John's gospel chapter 5 Jesus claims deity.

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He claims deity. I think of this all men sooner or later will have to face this earth -shaking shattering claim of Jesus Christ.

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The earth shaking claim that he made the astounding claim that all authority belonged to him.

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Not some authority but all authority. And how could he make such a astounding claim being the son of man but he is also the son of God.

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And the answer to that is because he proclaimed that he possessed equality with God the father.

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And then he proceeded to give full proof and after proof which unequivocally verified his claim to that in which he said.

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Pastor John MacArthur says this concerning John 5 14 through to 47. And I believe

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I read this last week but it bears repeating again. These verses reveal the ultimate reason

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Jesus confronted the Jews religious hypocrisy.

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The opportunity to declare who he was. This section is

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Christ's own personal statement of his deity. And he says this as such it is one of the greatest

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Christological discourses in scripture. End quote. And I'm going to borrow his outline this morning to give him credit because I don't think

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I could find a better outline than this that'll help us stay on track.

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But he touches on this in beginning of verse 17 and 18 then from verse 19 to verse 30

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Jesus begins to unpack these claims. In verse 19 we see perfect obedience.

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Verse 20 we see perfect works. Verse 21 his power to quicken life to give life and raise up the dead.

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Verse 22 and 23 we see his sovereign control over the whole judicial process.

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In verse 24 and 25 his authority over man's destiny to save men from death to life.

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Verse 26 his energy of life his self -existence his self -existence.

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Verse 27 his power to execute judgment. In verse 27 his claim to be the son of man and in verse 28 to verse 30 his power to resurrect all men from the grave.

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Now that's paraphrased of everything that we're going to be covering and the outline from MacArthur is basically this.

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Today we will observe first of all that Jesus Christ is equal with God in his person.

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He's equal with God in his person in verse 17 and 18.

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We cut we touched on this last week but we're going to look at a little bit more today. Second he is equal with God in his works.

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Verse 19 and 20. Third he is equal with God in his power and his sovereignty.

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Verse 21. Then fourth he is equal with God in his judgment.

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In verse 22 and 5th he is equal with God in his honor and in his glory.

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In verse 23. So after we by God's help and grace look at that this morning through the scriptures we will then look at some application personal application that we could take home with us about these wonderful verses.

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So to begin with there's no way again that I could do justice to this great text.

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Beloved by God's help and pray pray for me this morning as we look and dive into this speaking about the personal testimony of who what

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Jesus says of himself of this is absolutely staggering. It is so deep.

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What we would do at best to scratch the surface and even if we were to break it down verse by verse and do a whole series on this in a whole year's time we would not scratch the surface folks.

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Because of the depth of the infinite infinite son of God that what is all that's been revealed to us through the pages of scripture about himself.

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It's it is staggered. So I come with an attitude this morning as trembling literally in my feet and my my shoes this morning and I'd like to say with Moses I take off the shoes of my heart because we are standing on most holy ground.

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Well we look at this and my prayer is that God will take his words from the text of holy scripture by his blessed holy spirit spirit make it alive in our hearts and change us forever that we're not here just to hear another per se sermon.

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But this will be a life -changing experience as we come face to face with who

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Jesus is. This is the living abiding word of God that God almighty is speaking to us and Jesus Christ reveals himself and he speaks to the in context to these religious pharisaical

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Jews that sought to persecute him and by the way they do this as Jesus constantly makes the statements of who he is they persecute him and eventually comes to a climax to take him all the way to the cross and crucify him.

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This is what crucified him this this is actually the reason why they sought to kill him and to put him on a cross.

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And God allowed it in his providence as Paul the apostle says if they would known who he really was they would not crucify the son of glory.

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So really Jesus laid down his life for the glory of God and oh and then eventually for our salvation but first for God's glory but in that providence and sovereignty of God.

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God allowed this to happen it was already decreed before time even began. Let's look at it now the backdrop of this in verse 16 gives us the setting of verse 17 to verse 30.

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Verse 16 says for this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus sought to kill him because he had done these things on the sabbath.

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Now this is a terrible terrible exposure of the wicked hearts of men.

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It shows that their hearts are exposed and they are religious people by all people.

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The savior had come and performed a great act of healing in his mercy and love.

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Think of this in his goodness and these Jews were literally howling mad.

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They resented the fact that the miracle took place on the sabbath and we saw that and they were cold -blooded religiousness.

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They were play actors and hypocrites and they were more interested in the ceremonial observances than they were in the blessings and the welfare of the fellow men because their hearts were hardened and cold.

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This proves their self -righteousness, their wickedness, their hypocrisy. The so -called religious people, the theologians of that day so to speak.

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This proves their lostness. This proves their separation from God that they did they really did not know who

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God really was. They did not realize that that it was the very one who set apart the sabbath that Jesus was the lord of the sabbath in the first place who now performed an act of mercy on this day.

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The lord Jesus Christ had not broken the sabbath of course we looked at that and the law forbade just menial work on that day but it did not prohibit the performance of acts of necessity and of acts of mercy and we looked at that last lord's day.

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But it's this verse that gives us the backdrop of the verses to come and the first point so we see in verse 17 and 18 that Jesus first of all claims his equality with God the father in his person in his person.

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Verse 17 Jesus answered them and said my father has been working until now and I have been working and to summarize this and we looked at this last week the lord is basically saying that God finished the works of creation in six days.

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After God worked in six days then God had rested. What does it mean that God rested from his works on the seventh day?

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Basically the scripture tells us that after he made all these things he saw that it was good.

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It was good. It was very good. Everything that God does is good and very good because he's

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God. There's no imperfections in God. He makes no mistakes.

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So everything he did and everything he created was good but however to look at it from the scheme in the big picture when sin entered into the world in which he created that was good at one time something happened.

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Sin entered into the world and man was responsible for that sin.

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Adam represented the whole human race. As sin came into the world

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God's work or should I say God's rest was disturbed.

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It was disturbed and his goodness and his mercy

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God would now work ceaselessly without stop to bring men and women back to fellowship with himself and scripture actually calls this reconciliation.

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That God would work in redemption. That God would provide a means of redemption through his son the

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Lord Jesus Christ to come. He would send out the gospel message to every generation.

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Then this is why God desires to have the gospel preached in all the world and from this time of Adam's fall up into the present time

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God has been working ceaselessly without stop I should say and he is still working.

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I ran across a man here several months ago and I'd say he's no longer in the story has some physical health problems but he's in a the prosperity gospel movement and he basically was telling me about this dominion theology that is nonsense and not scriptural throwing all these verses of scripture out of context and man -centered not

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God -centered and he basically came up to me one day and told me you know he said

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I just want to let you know everything that God has is at our disposal and ready for our taking. I said well scripturally speaking and in and through Jesus Christ he has provided all that in Christ I agree with you on that but he went a little further and just started taking it out of context and he started saying this about God.

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He said that God is no longer working. God is just like this grandfather on the throne and just sitting back and waiting for people just to do their thing.

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Now focus if that was the case we'd all be doomed. We would be doomed to hell.

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God never slumbers or sleeps. He that keeps Israel never slumbers or sleep and he's still working folks and I told this gentleman this.

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I don't consider him a brother because he's in the false teaching and he is really buying it and I actually told him one day and I started naming these false teachers one after one in the prosperity gospel movement and I said false false false love of money love of money filthy lucre filthy lucre and I said

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I dare you to prove me wrong and I said everything that they're teaching you is poison my friend and to make a long story short he was basically really giving me this nonsense and this lie that God is not working.

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He's a passive God. Folks that is a lie from hell.

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God is actively working. He's working through his spirit. He works and he still works and this is what

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Jesus was telling these pharisaical religious leader in his day. God is working.

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He worked yes in redemption. The great act of redemption has been made and paid for.

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I agree with that a hundred percent but to say that God is no longer working is false and nonsense.

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God is working and he's still working and he was by the way through Jesus Christ engaged.

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Jesus let me say this. Jesus was engaged with his father's business. Jesus was engaged doing his father's business.

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Every time Jesus did something he says as the father I do everything that pleases the father.

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If the father shows it to me I do it. He was one with the father so his business and his love and grace through his business could not be confined to six days of the week.

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Actually the text in verse 17 and 18 shows us that Jesus is equal with God the father and a clear claim to equality with the father and the unique son of God.

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Intimate relationship with union and oneness with God. You can read

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Jesus's prayer which is another great chapter of the great high priestly prayer is called of Christ in John 17 that he constantly say speaks of the father and him are one and then his prayer is that the church the church will be one through the love through the father and through the son where there's equality with God.

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Philippians 2 6 says this who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery.

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That word robbery means something to be held or grasped on to be equal with God.

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The Greek word actually for equal defines things that are exactly the same size and quantity and character and in number in every sense

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Jesus is equal to God and is constantly claimed to be so during his earthly ministry.

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Verse 18 John 5 says therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sabbath but he also but he also said that God was his father because he said my father making himself equal with God.

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So Jesus is equal with God in his person in his person. Second we see that he is equal with God in his works he's equal with God in his works in verse 19 and 20 says this and Jesus answered and said to the most assuredly some translation says barely barely or truly truly but he says most assuredly

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I say to you that the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do for whatever he does the son also does in like manner.

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Verse 20 for the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel.

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What a verse. Here we see in this text that Jesus' statement of theses it's a complete unity and dependence with God the father and even though he's equal with God he submits to the father's will and the savior here is so vitally linked in perfect union with the

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God the father that he could not act independently. As he prayed in Gethsemane before he went to the cross he didn't he struggled with great drops of blood as he was facing the cross and he says he struggles and he says not my will but thy will be done.

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The struggle was there but yet he went all the way. Now I was studying this and there's something really great

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I read from a the British minister George Macdonald years ago pointed out a great truth that gives us profound insight into the

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Lord's miracles and his works. Let me share this with you. George Macdonald said this

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Jesus did instantly what the father is always doing slowly for example in nature as mentioned earlier the father is slowly turning water into wine but Jesus did it instantly through the powers in nature the father is healing broken bodies but Jesus healed them immediately and then but Jesus heals them immediately then nature's nature repeatedly multiplies bread from sowing to the to harvest but Jesus multiplied it instantly in his own hands end quote.

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I thought that's profound because you see the father is always working as well but the

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Lord Jesus Christ is working as well and he does as what the father does slowly Christ does it instantly.

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Beautiful. So Jesus says in an emphatic way he begins by speaking to these religious pharisees and these jews that rejected him as the messiah and called him a blasphemer he says verily verily most assuredly and in the original language it says amen amen

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Jesus gives the amen before he says the statement he alone only can do that because he is the amen you see we say amen after a truth has been spoken right

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I speak a truth a minister speaks the truth or you may speak a truth we speak the scripture actually the scripture is the truth there's no other truth but the scripture and it's great embodiment in the sense it's because and then we say amen

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Paul says let every man be a liar and let God be true right let

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God be true in every man found liar and all the promises of God are yes and amen so everything about God is truth and we say amen but when

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Jesus is making a statement or anytime he makes an emphatic statement he says this statement here time and time again through the gospel of John you see this most assuredly truly truly or verily verily in the old king

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James meaning amen amen he makes an emphatic truth

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MacArthur says this in response to Jewish hostility at the implications of his assertions of equality with God Jesus became even more fearless more fear forceful and emphatic

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Jesus essentially tied his activities of healing on the sabbath directly to the father in quote and I love that part that he says that as all this came the persecution was coming upon him we would have a tendency to back away but Jesus goes forward he's always on the offense and his brother

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Ben has been preaching about the head that that we take heaven by force the violent take it by force heavenly violence this

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Jesus Christ is the king of this folks he is the captain of our salvation he's the one that is pressing he's the king he is even more relentless and righteousness and holiness more fearless more forceful more emphatic and he like he presses forward to give the truth now here in this text he does not mean that he did not have the power to do anything by himself of course he had the power to do things by himself because he is the word made flesh what is he saying he is was so closely united in oneness with the father in that perfect union

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I would say with God that he could only do the very things which he saw the father doing he was that intimate with the father because he's one with the father because he's

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God as he said in John 14 you've seen me you seen you seen the father he was the the reflection of the father because he's

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God in flesh a lot of false teachers and false again false movements has come about because of a twisting that passage of scripture because Jesus is not the father he's the son but when

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Jesus says when you see me you've seen the father he's basically saying you've seen the direct exact representation the reflection of who

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God the father is he comes to reveal the father but he is saying I am deity

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I am God he makes himself equal God he claims and then for that reason the religious people seek to kill him well he he is definitely one with the father so the

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Lord Jesus clearly intended the Jews to think of him as equal with God he did this purposely the son could do nothing of himself he said he always acted in perfect harmony with some subordination with God the father to the father's will he always did the father's will perfectly and as children of the living

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God you and I are to do the father's will now we cannot do it perfectly can we but we can lean on the

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Lord Jesus Christ and that's where our help comes from because as much as we seek and desire to do

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God's will which is everything folks to do the will of God the desire of God God the father

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Jesus did it perfectly perfectly he upheld the law perfectly it's so glorious to know that as we put our trust and faith in the

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Lord Jesus Christ he has done all that there is to please the father isn't that great comfort well his works parallel those of the father in both their nature and instance so and he says this for whatever the father does these things the son also does in like manner so Christ's statement is a clear declaration of his own divinity and this is what he's saying

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Jesus claimed to see what the father is doing in order to make such a claim and let's stop and think about this for a second he must have continual access with the father continually as the son of man and not only that not only continual access to the father but a complete knowledge of what is going on in heaven and he did not only so but Jesus claims to do the very things which he sees the father does this is certainly a an assertion of equality with God the father that he is omnipotent that he is all powerful and Jesus said this before he after he rose again from the dead he gave the great commission he says all power all authority is given to me he said that's an incredible statement upon that great commission

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Jesus says it is by his authority all power is given to is given to Christ so Christ is equal with God in his person he's equal with God in his works he's also equal with God in his power and sovereignty so it makes gives us open door here to move to the next statement his power and his sovereignty look at verse 21 look what it says there for as the father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the son gives life to whom he will that is a powerful statement beloved this is another clear statement as to the equality of of the son with the father the jews accused

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Jesus of making himself equal with God so he did not deny it of course

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Jesus did not deny it he did not deny that charge but rather he set forth the tremendous proofs of the fact that he and the father are one by asserting this equality with God the father

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Jesus claimed that he had the parallel power with God to raise the dead now what do you think of about raising the dead we think about physical raising the dead that is true

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Jesus will raise every dead person in this entire world one day when he comes back but it goes further than that folks not only is he talking about physical raising the dead he's talking about spiritually raising the dead the bible teaches that only

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God has the power to raise the dead and the old testament records this evident through the miracles in which

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God did through Elijah and Elijah in the old testament in several instances because his power is the same as the father

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Jesus is able to raise the physical dead and the spiritual dead and he proves this in chapter 11 and John as he raised

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Lazarus from the dead he was already several days dead and the sister of Lazarus who which one was it was it

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Martha I believe that came up to Jesus and says Lord he's already dead he stinks his body's starting to decay and Jesus said did not

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I tell you that that your brother will rise again and then he says

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I am the resurrection and the life and he raised he rose him from the dead he raised him up yes he can raise the physical dead but moreover let me say this

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Jesus has the power also to raise up the spiritual dead as well and that's a greater miracle that's the greatest miracle

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Jesus says you will marvel at that greater works he says you would do in that mention greater works is talking about those that will be dead in their sins and through the power of the

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Holy Spirit and by his word Christ and by the word of Christ faith comes by the word of Christ and also the spiritual dead corpses comes out and lives who could do that but only

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God who could do that and then that's what they were saying you know that no wonder they wanted to kill him because he said he was equal with God he could do this he was telling him that but Jesus has the power to give spiritual life to the spiritual dead as well which in truth is far greater miracle and again unlike the prophets of old like Elijah and Elisha Jesus did not merely act as God's representative what makes him unique to raise the dead because this is

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God himself this is God in flesh this is

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Emmanuel the son of the living God who himself says I am the resurrection and the life that's awesome

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I am this resurrection and life Jesus says life to whom and he gives life to whom he wishes to give life it's his decision it's his choice a lot of people don't like to say that hear that they think oh it salvation lies within their choice by no means by no means the

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Bible says no one seeks God and then explain to me pastor how is it that people can seek

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God folks if people are seeking God it is the spirit of the living God that is breathing upon them at that moment it is

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God always is first God always takes the initiative a dead man cannot make a decision for salvation

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God has made that decision to bring them out from the dead and raise them from newness to newness of life as God is the very source of life so Jesus Christ is the very source of life this is important folks because today in our world and even in church today you hear people talk about God and I've heard this so often and you've met these folks haven't you they talk a lot about God but never do they mention the

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Lord Jesus Christ something is wrong if they call themselves Christians and not to mention the

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Lord Jesus Christ because to be a Christian is to be a follower of Jesus Christ to be a disciple of Christ a learner of Christ well that word

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Christian is thrown about loosely too Christ is the source of life as God chooses when he gives life so does the son choose in perfect agreement with the father there's nothing they work together in everything they've worked together in creation they work together in redemption and again when

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Jesus was here in the flesh and in body in his incarnation he instantly did those things that the father had been doing slowly truth um the greatest miracle of all is the salvation of souls isn't that a great isn't that a great miracle passing from spiritual death to spiritual life from darkness to light from the bondage of sin to liberty and Jesus says whom the son makes free is free indeed well

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Jesus is equal with God the father in his person in his works and his power and sovereignty and forth look at the next statement

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Jesus is also equal with God in his judgment and his judgment what does that mean well look at what it says for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that is a powerful statement that the

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Lord Jesus Christ makes here Jesus's authority to grant spiritual life to whomever he chooses to is consistent with the authority to judge all men on the last and final day that Jesus himself by his word will raise all the dead and all will appear before the throne the great white throne judgment and by the way that's all that are lost and damned but those that are saved will appear before the beam of seat of Christ and be judged according to their works now anyone that's at the great white throne judgment will be all lost there but nevertheless all will appear before the judgment of God but the believers do not appear before the judgment of God in condemnation right because the condemnation is to those that are lost that's the great white throne judgment and if you read it in act and revelation

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I believe it's chapter 20 it's awesome the Bible says the sea gives up the dead small and great and all appear before him and Jesus Christ himself is the judge shall not the judge of all the earth do right and all that judgment that is passed will be fair and just because he is the just one so scripture says a lot about this in order for the

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Lord Jesus to do this in his perfect work he must of course be absolute have absolute perfect knowledge and perfect righteousness and by the way the

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Lord Jesus Christ is that he's perfect in all that he must be able to discern the thoughts and the motives of men's hearts if you go with me very quickly

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I'll just give you a quick example of this scripture says a lot about the word of God being the discerner of hearts in Hebrews chapter four but it also says in revelation

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Jesus speaks to the church to the seven churches in Asia minor and let me give you an example of this that he is the searcher of hearts revelation 2 chapter 2 and he speaks to in verse 18 the it was actually the corrupt church this church was corrupt the church of Thyatira and the angel and to the angel of the church in Thyatira right and basically there the angel is talking about to like the pastor the messenger he says these things says the son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass notice what he says

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I know your works love service faith your patience and as for your works the last are more than the first listen what he says nevertheless

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I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols

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I gave her time to repent how gracious is he I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent notice what he says indeed

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I will cast her into into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds and notice what he says in verse 23

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I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and the hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your works the believers now now to you

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I say and to the rest in Thyatira as many as do not have this doctrine you have not known the depths of satan as they say

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I will put on you no other burden and then he gives them an exhortation but hold fast hold fast what you have till I come and he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him

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I will give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel and as also received from my father

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I will give I will give him the morning star and he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches folks you don't hear a lot of preaching on these from these passages of the glorified

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Christ but that is the Christ right now in glory his eyes is like a flame of fire his feet's like burnished brass his his voice is like the sound of many waters and there he says

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I know your works he says to all the churches there I know your works he has all knowledge and then he says

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I'm the one that searches the minds and the old king James says the reins of the heart that means the inner motives that's the power of the word of God in judgment

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MacArthur says this he gives a great observation concerning Jesus's deity in his judgment he says because their wheels are perfect in harmony speaking of God the

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Father and Jesus all judgment can be given to Christ in assurance that his judgment will be in fact the very same as the

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Father's judgment that's powerful listen this all though judgment was not a primary purpose of Christ's first coming to earth it remains the inescapable final result of rejecting the salvation that he offers end quote folks this is why this is such a serious thing about salvation and let me tell you why because in the future that we will all die the bible says it is appointed for once men to die and after that what the judgment there's it's inescapable two things that are inescapable death and judgment we're going to all pass that way one way or another and I'm telling you today as your friend and minister and telling you the truth

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I warn you flee from the wrath to come fly to Jesus Christ because on that day of judgment if you're not covered in the blood of Jesus Christ it is absolutely hell in wrath for eternity

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I cannot emphasize that enough it's everything to be in Christ and have the blood the precious blood of Christ applied by believing in the

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Lord Jesus Christ folks in the future the bible says in first second that's

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I'm sorry second Thessalonians 1 7 and 8 the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven will be with his mighty angels and flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know

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God and to those listen to this and to those who do not obey the gospel of our

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Lord Jesus Christ notice how those two go together act 17 3 you hear this mentioned a lot here

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God because God has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness through the man whom he has appointed whom

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God the Father has appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead that tells us something that the judgment is real and it's inescapable and it's a it's a reality because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead that is a great truth and that is one of the foundational truths that we hold to and practice and believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ much is said about that Matthew chapter 7

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I want to plead with you to read Matthew 7 21 and through 29 on your devotional time how on the day of judgment when many will say to the

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Lord to the Lord Jesus Christ he said many will say to me he says to me

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Lord Lord they even call him Lord did not we prophesy in your name did not we cast out demons in your name did why we do all these many wonderful miracles in your name and then he said

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I will make a profession to them I never knew you depart from me you that work lawlessness that's the most scariest verse in scripture it's the most horrible terrifying verse just to know that Jesus is going to say that to people in eternity before the judgment throne and they're going to say

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Lord Lord in other words they are deceived they're thinking that they're saved and they know the

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Lord but they don't know the Lord Jesus says I never knew you in other words what he's saying you never were born again in the first place you may play church all your life but you didn't know me and I didn't know you wow well

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Jesus is equal with God in person in works and power and sovereignty and judgment and the fifth and final is that he's equal with God the

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Father in his honor and in his glory John 5 23 and 24 verse 23 and 24 that all should honor the son just as they honored the father and he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him and most assuredly

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I say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and it shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life folks that's that's all that's going to matter can

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I say this as we come to a close in this message that the father's purpose in entrusting all the judgment to his son the

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Lord Jesus Christ is so that all will honor the son even as they honored the father makes me think of psalm 2 don't don't doesn't it make you think of psalm 2 listen to this verse 7 let me go back verse 6 yet I've set my king on my holy hill of Zion I will declare the decree the

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Lord has said to me you are my son today I've begotten you ask of me and I will give you donations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron and you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel same the same verse that the

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Lord Jesus Christ we just read in revelation he quotes now therefore be wise oh kings here's the application here be instructed you judges of the earth serve the

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Lord with fear serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling you talking about having a healthy fear of God there it is with a fear the

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Lord and then he says this kiss the son what's the kiss mean it means worship we're to worship the king we're to worship the

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Lord Jesus Christ worship the son kiss the son least he be angry least he be angry notice what he says and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those who put their trust in him always a positive note and hope the

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Lord never leaves people without hope in other words there's warning there but there's hope the warning is you better kiss the son at least

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God be angry with you and you perish in the way and when his wrath is kindled but a little but blessed are those who put their trust in him that means like moody says you lean on God and the

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Lord Jesus Christ with all your weight and faith and it's proven by our obedience well much more to be said there

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Jesus Christ is God I'm going to bring this to a conclusion and an application the father's honor is not diminished by the honor paid to Christ on the contrary it is increased it is enhanced and ended a great thing although the unbelieving

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Jews at the time thought that they were worshiping God and doing God's service by rejecting the son he came into his own his own received him not thinking that they were offering

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God's service instead the opposite was true he who does not honor the son does not honor the father

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Jesus says who sent him Jesus said this in John 15 23 who hates me hates my father also those who refuse to honor the son while claiming to honor the father are actually self -deceived and that's where these religious

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Jews were the father and the son are to be afforded equal honor folks

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Isaiah said it did like this I will not give my glory to another and yet we were talking in Sunday school today as brother

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Ben was leading about how little men in churches do everything they can to set themselves up on a pedestal and rob

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God of his glory no fear of God God says

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I would not give my glory to another the father has commanded that all will honor the son willingly or unwillingly

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I can't remember exact the exact quote but the Puritan John Bunyan put it like this put it like whether now or then your knee will bend

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God will get the glory in the end it's paraphrase for the

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Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored as the father we honor the Lord Jesus Christ we do honor the father and that's the blessed promise to those who believe is that they do not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life and let me close with this with a application to all of us go with me to Philippians chapter 2 and I believe this is a perfect application to the text in which we're looking at today and Philippians 2 says it the

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Apostle Paul says it's so perfectly through the Spirit of God what does he say verse 6 who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bond servant a bond slave coming in the likeness of men being found in the parents as a man he humbled himself became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross and notice what he says here because Christ humbled himself as the

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Son of Man more than anyone will ever even do no one cannot even come close to it because this is

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God in the flesh that came to this earth to the earth he made he humbled himself as a bond slave think of that he washed feet he washed the disciples feet this is

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God in the flesh and how should we pull back from serving one another when we see the

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Son of God the Son of Man washing the disciples feet he became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross and and because he humbled himself to the lowest low

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God now has exalted him to the highest high look at what the text says therefore and that's the reason why therefore is therefore is because he was obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross therefore

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God also has highly exalted him giving him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those are under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is

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Lord to the glory of God the Father there you have it that's the purpose he is glorified he's glorified above all have you come to believe in the

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Lord Jesus Christ have you come to repent of your sins have you been changed inside and out are you a new creation in Jesus Christ 2nd

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Corinthians 517 therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation old things have been passed away behold all things have become new are you in Christ that's really the question are you in Christ you're in Christ or outside of Christ no it's nothing in between and if Christ is

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Lord and he is no one makes him Lord the question is have you submitted to his lordship have you submitted to his allegiance have you submitted to his kingship in other words does he have ownership over you just not saying

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I'm a Christian but are you following Jesus Christ in every aspect of your life like Paul says you no longer young you've been bought with the price he owns you he's king he's

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Lord so when we come to say Jesus is Lord that means he's

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Lord hey he's regardless we submit or not but are you submitting to his lordship are you submitting to his will are you submitting to what he has said in his word may it be so may it be so to the glory of God the

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Father amen amen let's pray our

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Father in heaven we do thank you Lord for this day thank you

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Lord for once again for your mercy love and grace that you've given us another day for today's the day of salvation and may not a one put this off Lord and believing and these great claims that Jesus that you are the very

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Son of God truly God truly man equal with the

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Father and every way equal with God the

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Father our Lord every claim in person equal with you in works equal with you in sovereignty equal with you and judgment equal with you and honor glory judgment

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Lord we thank you for this we thank you for your son that you have said on your holy hill is now at the right hand make an intercession for the church

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Lord help us I pray may not a one of us leave here until Lord's we have that they have come trusting you and Lord if they have not trusted you

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I pray that Lord your spirit would so show mercy to lead them to the cross of the

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Lord Jesus Christ this is where we fly to this is where we come to know you in fullness that's this is where this is this is where reconsideration takes place

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Lord we thank you and we praise you sanctify us

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Holy Lord cleanses changes make us more like your son the