Written for Our Hope | Sermon 10/24/2021

Apologia Utah

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Hear now the words of the living and true God for whatever was written in earlier times

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Was written for our instruction So that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope

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Thus ending the reading of God's Word. Let's pray quickly Lord, please bless the service

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Use me as a vessel Lord as an instrument for the Holy Spirit Lord speak to your people today

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Let it be clear. Let it be helpful and let it be true Lord. Let no error come from this pulpit ever

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So Lord, please dwell with us now and pray this in Christ's name. Amen So growing up My grandparents they meant everything to me

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Living in Southern California through the 80s and 90s. We would go and visit my grandparents at least maybe once a month

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We just loved going there as me my brother and sister were approaching with our parents

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We'd see their home and we'd go grandma's house. We were just so excited to see grandma

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I'm sure some of you I bet all of you are like that. You just love your grandma, huh? And so my grandmother

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Eleanor and my grandfather Raymond they raised my father and his six siblings in a

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Roman Catholic home and By God's grace sometime I think in the late 70s they had found the true gospel of Christ and became evangelical

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Christians my grandma Had a love for Christ so deep one that I haven't even seen replicated days

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She just loved Jesus Christ with everything in her on on her dining room table

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She would often have even two Bibles open Just with writings and notes and highlighters of all colors and anything that could remotely

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Resemble a bookmark was stuffed in throughout these Bibles. She just wrote all these notes.

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She loved the Bible She loved God's Word she also loved to pray she would pray so long and So often she had a women's group that she went to for over 30 years.

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She would not miss it every week She would go with these women and Pray to the

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Lord God and she would she would lift us all up She would pray for her children for her grandchildren all of us

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And when I was lost and I was dead in my sin when I was 21 years old. I Went and tried,

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California again, we were in Arizona for a long time and I I came back out to California and I'd go to these community college and college classes and I Would come to her house afterwards her house was right by the college

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And we would have lunch and I would feel like she had this connection to God that I didn't have that I myself

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Wanted okay. I I didn't want the life that I had anymore. It felt empty I kept sinning and it was so much for me.

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She would encourage me all the time in Christ Well after Christ had saved me nearly ten years ago.

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I I called her up after everything had happened and the

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Lord had changed me that day in Mesa, Arizona and I said grandma. I'm a sinner.

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I can't believe it. I'm a sinner grandma. We've all sinned Can you believe it? That's what the Bible says and she says

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I've been telling you that for a long time you are a sinner son, you know and She just was overjoyed at what

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Christ had had done in my life She had been praying since I was a young boy that God would rescue me

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And so I would call her often as a 25 year old I'd call my 83 year old grandma every month and we would talk about Jesus Christ together.

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It it was you know Strange in a way, right, but I just we'd love to talk about Christ And so it was 2013 when my grandfather

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Raymond had died and we were all devastated My grandma stayed strong in the

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Lord But something seemed different about her She was ready to go be with Christ, which is of course far better No more than a few months after her

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Husband died my grandma Eleanor left this world to be in the presence of the Lord August 19th, 2013

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Everyone knew that she was finally face to face with her Redeemer What she believed by faith she finally now saw with her own eyes

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All of her seven children and their spouses and 20 grandchildren and their spouses relatives church family

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Community members everyone came together and we celebrated her life and That weekend we were all allowed to go into my grandparents house and pick out anything that we wanted to take home for ourselves

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That people would take photos. They would take sentimental items

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She had tons of these sheep figurines like everywhere hundreds of them hundreds

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We would count and guess and how many she had she had wool ones and ceramic ones and porcelain sheep there were sheep all over her house, and so many people grabbed a lot of sheep and so I Knew what

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I wanted. I went straight to my grandmother's Bibles. I went straight to her

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Bibles. I Had to have them and I grabbed both of them and I opened them up and In them

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I was completely shocked In what seemed like every few pages were written a

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Encouraging note something that the Lord had had taught her And the amount of prayer requests for the family and for for loved ones was unreal

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It was just littered throughout her Bibles everywhere. She was writing about all of us in her

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Bibles it was I was in tears and I I have these Bibles to this day and they serve

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To me much what Paul has said here With prayers and biblical insights that acted as encouragement to me

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Causing me to persevere and to press forward to the prize that she is now tasting

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I showed everyone these by those Bibles that day and they couldn't believe it their name was in there

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You know this this person's name was in there prayer requests that had been answered it was just Unbelievable all the things that she'd been praying about and so Our past three sola scriptura sermons have been very theological

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They've been laying a foundation, but again much like what I had received that day those encouraging

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Bibles with those notes that caused me to persevere that gave me. Hope that's what we're going to be looking at today as Peter says

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I want to stir you up by way of reminder of the glorious Accounts that were written earlier for our instruction to help us persevere for our encouragement and for our hope

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We will be as I said all over the Old and New Testament today reading a lot of verses and I I want to challenge us

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That reading a lot of Scripture in a sermon isn't is not always unusual think about oral tradition

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Think about the Israelites in hearing the law and in synagogue hearing the words of the prophets spoken they would sit there and listen to the words recited and It just makes you wonder.

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Why do you think they could recall Scripture? So well, it's for that very reason and so we're gonna read it openly today.

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I Pray that as we go through it it reminds you of what God has done in redemption history and where it leads us now

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Okay It says whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction

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This word can be teaching or doctrine as well but instead of just looking at doctrines or even commandments or the

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Proverbs which are Explicit instructions. I want us to look at examples of implicit

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Instruction events that occurred to where we can derive a valuable lesson from it.

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Okay Let's begin that by taking a look at the book of Judges At that time in the book of Judges the twelve tribes had each taken up a portion of the land

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In chapter 1 the text makes it clear that each of the tribes Failed to fully drive out the enemy

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So in chapter 2 God rebukes Israel He says in Judges chapter 2 verse 1 through 4 now the angel of the

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Lord came up from Gilgal and Gilgal to Bacchum and He said

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I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers And I said

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I will never break my covenant with you and as for you You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land

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You shall tear down their altars But you have not obeyed me. What is this you have done?

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therefore I also said I will not drive them out before you but they will become as thorns in your side and Their gods will be a snare to you and so after this

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Begins the cycle of the book of Judges the cycle of Judges that typically begins with Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the

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Lord and that happens over and over again in the book of Judges R .C.

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Sproul says this cycle is made up of four parts relapse retribution repentance and Rescue, okay relapse is the sons of Israel doing evil in the sight of the

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Lord and Worshipping the Baals or some other false God Relapse is falling into sin essentially, okay

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Retribution is when the Lord uses a neighboring nation like the Moabites Ammonites or Philistines to chastise

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Israel to punish them for their evil Repentance of course is when the

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Israelites realized their folly and typically It says something like then the sons of Israel cried out to the

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Lord God then raises a deliverer a judge to rescue them

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You might have heard of Samson Gideon or even Ehud the left -handed ninja

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Right, that's just awesome. Do you remember that story? Ehud's sword he's left -handed and so they check him his right side

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For the sword or it might be the other way around. He's left -handed. So he grabs from his right So they checked his light his left side and they didn't find a sword

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When he went up to go visit the king and he and he stabs the the wicked king in the belly

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And this king was so fat that the hilt of the sword Went into his gut and his gut like formed over the hilt and he died

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That is a book that is in the book of Judges Ehud got to check that out the left -handed ninja

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You can't trust them left -handed people, you know, I'm just kidding. Our deacon is left -handed. So that's why

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I said that Andrew's left -handed They defeat the enemy

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They tear down the high places the people erected and turn to the Lord their God that is the rescue right relapse retribution repentance and rescue what we can take away from judges is if we aren't killing sin in our lives and Replacing it with good works and the fruit of the

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Spirit Then it will simply resurface again and again and again as John Owen said be killing sin

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Or it will be killing you then we learn that with genuine repentance

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God is Faithful to forgive us and aid us in escaping that sin.

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That is what we see when they repent God honors that and he rescues the people

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The Israelites in a sense. They very much abandoned God, but God did not abandon them we also learned that God loves us and So as he loves us he chastises us in Christ He never gives us truly what we deserve which would be judgment and hell

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But as Jesus says in Revelation 3 16 those whom I love I reprove and discipline

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Therefore be zealous and repent Now, let's consider Another example and we're just gonna be going through these examples.

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This is a reminder sermon. We've developed a lot of Theology now, this is a reminder for us of what

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God has done in Scripture 1st Samuel 15 At this point in Israel's history

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Saul had become the first king the Lord told told

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Saul to make war against Amalek for its wickedness and Centuries prior

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Amalek had set itself up against Israel as they were escaping Egypt and they had fought against them in that time

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And so God tells Saul Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has

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Do not spare him but put to death both man and woman child and infant

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Ox and sheep camel and donkey and this is a unique type of war.

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This is war for Extermination something only God can sanction. It's not something that can happen today

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Mm -hmm. Well, here's where things went wrong Saul defeated the

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Amalekites then we and then we have in verse 9 But Saul and the people spared

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King Agog and the best of the sheep The oxen the fatlings the lambs and all that was good and were not willing to destroy them utterly

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But everything despised and worthless they utterly destroyed so Saul completely

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Disobeyed and disregarded the Lord's command to destroy everything utterly The Lord says that he regrets making

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Saul King that day Even worse Saul lies as he approaches the

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Prophet Samuel and says blessed are you of the Lord? I have carried out the command of the Lord.

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I've done it right and Samuel's just shaking his head You've disobeyed the

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Lord Saul is confronted then by Samuel and he tries to deflect the blame by saying

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The people took these things the people did it the people took all the fatlings and and everything.

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It was the people and It's like a child stealing some candy, right?

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And when he gets caught he says well, I was going to give this to everyone I was gonna I was gonna take the the fatlings and and I was gonna you know

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Sacrifice them to the Lord. That's why I took the all the the cows and the calves and everything like that I was gonna sacrifice them.

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It's for everybody Now here pardon me

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Here comes of course the famous passage in verse 22 and 23 Samuel said has the

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Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the

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Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed better than the fat of rams for rebellion is as the sin of divination and Insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry

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To obey is better than sacrifice And I know that Christ Has paid for my past present and future sins, but sometimes

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I think God Let me not sin one more time to add to the account that made it necessary for King Jesus to die on the cross

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Lord, let me not sin one more time knowing what it took to pay for that sin. That is often my mentality

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I think one of the key lessons we can learn from Saul's failure is that this

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Christian walk isn't simply about the external The Pharisees were only concerned with the external the deeds and sacrifices

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Done on the outside to do what we think appeases God But the

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Lord is concerned about the internal Obedience is something God's words

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God's word demands as we saw in our Genesis sola scriptura sermon when

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God commands we are to obey that is clear from the beginning a

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Sacrificial system is necessary because of disobedience Right.

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There wasn't a sacrificial system in the Garden of Eden that came after the fall of man that that was the

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What had to occur after that because of sin because of disobedience? In other words the sacrifice

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Saul said he wanted to give God wouldn't even be necessary if he didn't

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Disobey the Lord if he just had obeyed the Lord in that and if anyone here today believes

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You can just live a lawless life because Christ has paid for every sin

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You do not understand the gospel We don't when we think like that when

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Christ Rescues a person they despise their sin. They love righteousness and although they still sin

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They want deliverance from it They want to hide in Christ because of their sin a believer doesn't look at grace as a license to sin

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But a gift to die to it is What we see in the word when

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Jesus Establishes his doctrine and affirms the law in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 6 and 7 he displays something very

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Similar to Samuel's statement on the internal over the external in What are called the antitheses the antitheses in the

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Sermon on the Mount? It's when he goes like this the formula is you have heard it said, but I tell you this

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Those are the antitheses. He isn't making the law more demanding or strict.

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He is giving the proper Interpretation of that law the heart of the commandment from the beginning when

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God gave it that's what Christ is doing Because as we saw the

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Old Testament wasn't just about the external It wasn't just about obeying the laws in an external fashion

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The Ten Commandments everything that God has given us has always been about from the heart

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From the heart even in the Old Testament It's always about the inner man out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

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It's not what goes into a man that defiles a man But what comes out of a man that defiles a man is what

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Christ says? There are so many examples But may judges and Saul's disobedience and Christ's doctrine serve us as our instruction

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The next thing is perseverance Perseverance this the Scriptures written in earlier times are there to help us to persevere in the

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Greek Hoopa Manas Hoopa Manas to be steadfast to remain to stand firm in the

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Christian walk in Romans 5 3 through 5 Paul says and not only this but we also exalt in our tribulations knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance

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Proven character and proven character hope and hope does not disappoint because the love of God Has been poured out within our hearts through the

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Holy Spirit who was given to us so so tribulation trials and suffering will result in perseverance

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We often wonder why on the difficult things in this life. Why is this happening to me?

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Why is this happening to our family? What have we done? Right. We often think that but the fact is suffering conforms us into the image of Christ These things will cause us to persevere

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They will cause us to finish the race if we let it Let's take a look at some examples of perseverance in the

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Bible now When someone demonstrates great endurance through all kinds of suffering trials and provocations

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We say that that person has the patience or perseverance of who? Job Job they have the patience of Job.

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In fact, even in the book of James the brother of Jesus Mentions Job. He says we count those blessed who endured

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You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the outcomes of the Lord's dealings

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That the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful Chapter one of Job tells us all about Job that he's blameless and an upright man

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He's fearing God and turning away from evil That would be quite the description to receive in the

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Bible. I would say We are shown a unique scene in Job 1 where Satan approaches

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God with the other angels Right if you've ever read this book, you probably remember that And It is actually

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God who points out Job to Satan. It's not Job bringing up Satan or bringing up It's not

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Satan bringing up Job saying look at him. Look at him It's it's God the father saying have you considered my servant

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Job? He's righteous blameless. And so Satan Responds to God and he says does

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Job fear God for nothing. Have you not put a hedge about him? And his house and all that he has on every side

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Satan says you have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land but put forth your hand now

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Untouch all that he has and surely Job will curse you to your face.

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That's what Satan tells the Lord Then the Lord said to Satan behold all that Job has is in your power

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Only do not put forth your hand on him So it says Satan departed from the presence of the

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Lord Satan essentially puts God to the test Which we know is a sin to do But God is so certain of what he's wrought in Job that he allows

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Satan to touch his life and Remember always remember that when you see

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Job 1 that the adversary needs permission to do anything the adversary needs permission

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God told him what to do and what he can't do He said you can touch all these things, but you can't touch his life in his body.

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That's what he says right here but then of course Begins a series of tragedies in the life of Job first the

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Sabians Attacked and took the oxen and the donkeys. They killed all of Job's servants except for one who delivered the message

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Then fire burned up all the sheep and the servants there except one then the

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Chaldeans made a raid and took Job's camels and killed all his servants except one and Finally a wind came upon his son's house where all ten of his children were having a meal together and the and the wind came and The roof came crashing down on all of his ten children and they all died that day

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Tragedy this is suffering Unlike anything most of us have ever seen utter devastation

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Job's life was completely destroyed through all that comes Job's famous words in verses 20 through 22

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It says then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worshipped

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He said naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return there

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The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord And it says through all this

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Job did not sin nor did he blame God which is just incredible Of course, there's more to the story

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Satan is then allowed to touch his body in particular He's not allowed to take his life, but he's allowed to touch his body

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And so Job Experiences these diseases and he is completely miserable and destitute

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His wife says just give up just curse God and die. That's what his wife

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Tells him just curse God and die, but he wouldn't he wouldn't adding to his pain

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Job's friends come and they falsely accuse him of sin Assuming all of what he's experienced is a result of unrepentance and disobedience to God There is much dialogue that goes back and forth between Job and his friends as well as Job talking to God Job then questions

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God and then in verse 40 and 41 is one of the most glorious Discourses of God's power and sovereignty go read that after this actually wrote read

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Job 40 and 41 about God It's just incredible Read about our God Job confesses he declared things in sin things he didn't understand things that are too wonderful for him he confesses and So he repents from his questioning to God What I want us to understand from this account is that when we suffer like the

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Christians before us and Joe before them it doesn't always mean

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We are deserving of it due to sin just because you're experiencing Something happening in your life doesn't mean you're you're necessarily deserving of it.

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We see that from Job, right? But we patiently endure and persevere for the sake of Christ Think about even right now in this moment.

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There's Chinese Christians who are locked up in In a prison they are locked up right now

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And they are being indoctrinated and they're having to watch things and they are suffering. They're not being fed

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They're being killed in these prisons right now Christians in China at this moment. They're there and they don't deserve it

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They don't deserve it, but we We trust that through it all God will preserve them in their perseverance

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He will make a righteous outcome out of the wicked acts of men he will vindicate his people

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Their suffering is not in vain Job's suffering was not in vain, but showed him

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God's sovereignty and goodness, right? The Lord does the same for us We don't get to see what takes place in the heavenly realm in the heavenly council

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We don't see that something's going on in your life right now You don't see the other side of the story like we get to see in Job, but we trust

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God with it. We trust God Job himself didn't see that side.

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He saw that God loved him though through it all God loved him God God actually knelt down and spoke to Job He he talked to Job Job Job wasn't owed that He wasn't owed that We don't get to see these things either

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But that's what is so great about the sovereign God who decrees the end from the beginning

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He has a purpose in everything and we can trust him in that And we have the

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Apostle Paul's example when he wrote to the church at Corinth of All that he had been through he was defending his apostleship and shedding light on the abuse and manipulation of false

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Apostles as he talks about his weaknesses All the things he boasts for in Christ's sake 2nd

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Corinthians 11 23 through 20 28. Are they servants of Christ?

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I speak as if insane I more so in far more labors in far more imprisonments beaten without number often in danger of death

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Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes five times

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Three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day

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I have spent in the deep in the ocean I have been on frequent journeys and dangers from rivers dangers from robbers dangers from my countrymen dangers from the

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Gentiles dangers in the city and dangers in the wilderness dangers on the sea and dangers among false brethren

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I have been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights in hunger and thirst often without food in cold and exposure apart from such external things

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There is also the daily pressure on me for my concern for the churches of God All the suffering that Paul had been through he persevered through it he understood

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The prize that was at the end of the race a crown of glory Awaited him so he remained steadfast.

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He boasted in these things knowing what Christ had done for him My prayer is that Paul's life would be an example for us in our own perseverance

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Jesus Christ, of course is the supreme example in perseverance for us in the midst of suffering

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It says in Isaiah 53 of Jesus he was despised and rejected

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Men hid their faces from him. He bore our griefs and sorrows upon himself

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He was smitten and afflicted of God pierced through for our transgressions crushed for our iniquities chastened

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Scourged on our back and on his back and his chest all turned away from Christ Like a lamb led to the slaughter he didn't even open his mouth

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Although he was reviled. He did not revile in return His crucifixion was next to wicked men yet he did no violence and no deceit was found in his mouth

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But says the Lord was pleased to crush him putting him to grief pouring the wrath meant for us upon himself

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Jesus was a guilt offering Jesus was in anguish. He was in anguish

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But it pleased the Lord knowing the suffering of this servant Jesus would justify the many as he bore their iniquities on the cross

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Jesus endured the shame. He took the blame and was numbered among the transgressors and throughout history

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The brothers and sisters who are martyred for their faith They are also numbered with the transgressors if God were to leave this nation over to its depravity and Christians were persecuted more greatly

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They wouldn't publicly say that they are imprisoned or killed for their faith in Christ Because even if that were to happen, they would say that hey look at these there are faithful followers of Christ There are people who follow

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Christ and they they obey the rules. They obey the rules They're not going to say that what they're gonna say if it were to happen is

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That we would be labeled as criminals Lawbreakers those who incite rebellion those who are racist bigots.

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That's what they will say those with hate speech That's that's what's going to happen. He was numbered with the transgressors and If the time comes or if the times of suffering have now come for you

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Whatever the circumstance may we give God the glory and suffer righteously as Christ did may we?

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persevere like Jesus had Romans 15 for says the word was written for our

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Encouragement for our encouragement and the word here isn't just about lifting another spirits or giving them consolation supremely

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Encouraging here is an act of Emboldening one another in belief or or a course of action.

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Okay So in other words the scriptures were written to give us courage

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To take the the hard and arduous path of following Christ The way is easy and the road is broad to follow destruction

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But to follow Christ can be treacherous. It can be difficult. You can lose family

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You can lose friends. You can lose your job possibly to follow Christ Means to possibly forsake all and be willing to lose everything to follow him

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Let's consider some examples in scripture though that can give us courage that can give us boldness

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Just an absolute picture of courage and faith is With King David when he was a young man, and he conquers

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Goliath. I think that's just in a great great example He was just a young boy meant to bring his older brothers cheese and bread and supplies as they were at the battlefront his older brothers and He he brings them these supplies and he hears the challenge from Goliath He hears the challenge and he's looking around at all all the

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Israelite soldiers and he doesn't understand why no one why there's no one taking up the The the challenge to fight

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Goliath to end this battle he says For who is this?

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uncircumcised Philistine That he should taunt the armies of the Living God. Who is this?

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Who is this that he would taunt the armies of the Living God? And so it's not so much that David was strong and mighty himself

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Right, but he knew the God he served was strong and mighty. He knew the

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God he served was strong and mighty King Saul then reluctantly Allows David to fight

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Goliath as no other man will and Goliath sees David walking up Right and he mocks him

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He says am I a dog that you come at me with sticks? Are you kidding me this little kid this little kids gonna take me down Goliath?

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And so he mocks and he says come I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and beasts of the fields.

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Come on Come come receive it Listen to what happens in verses 43 45 through 51 of 1st

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Samuel 17. It says then David said to the Philistine You come to me with a sword a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the

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Lord of hosts The God of the armies of Israel whom you have taunted This day the

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Lord will deliver you up into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you

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They don't have that in a lot of the cartoon Recreations for children, huh? They need to they should honestly those cartoons should have it all.

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I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the

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Earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel And that all this assembly may know that the

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Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear for the battle is the

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Lord's and He will give you into our hands he is so certain he is so sure

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What courage what boldness? It says then it happened when the

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Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David that David ran quickly towards the battle he ran to go to the battle line to meet

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Goliath the Philistine and David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and he slung it and struck the

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Philistine on the forehead and The stone sank into his forehead so that he fell on his face to the ground

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Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone and he struck the

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Philistine and killed him But there was no sword David could carry no sword. He was too small for that So David ran and he stood over Goliath and he pulled out

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Goliath sword And he took it and he sliced the head off Goliath And he showed the rest of the

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Philistine army that he had defeated Goliath and It says when the

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Philistine saw that their champion Goliath was dead It says they fled they ran the other way they ran and that is honestly that is courage.

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That is boldness It says that it says that after that the Israelite army was just emboldened and they they to the

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Israelites who were just cowering But when they saw this young boy kill Goliath, they all got up and they started running towards those

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Philistines going after them pursuing them they knew that the Lord God could do it and Look I'm not gonna say that we we can all be like David and take our

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Metaphorical stones and sling them at metaphorical giants in our lives or something like that That's been overdone and I think it's kind of ridiculous to be honest

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But I will say God can and does use ordinary people to accomplish

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Extraordinary feats he has done that and he will continue to do that I think

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I think we could have more courage as Christians if we look at this. I Think we can face what's coming at us in our culture and be confident that the

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Lord will act he will act He laughs at their schemes Whether it be mandates job loss indoctrinations in our schools arresting of street preachers

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Calling the Bible hate speech arresting even pastors, whatever it may be It's like do you know the captain of the

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Lord of hosts? Do you know our God you could do any of that do it Go ahead and do it. Do you know our Lord?

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You're defeated. You're defeated. God laughs at their schemes. He laughs at it. He mocks at them from the heavens it says

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Nothing can thwart his purposes the Bible shows and so Again, moving on what else is what else gives us courage from the

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Bible? What else? Acts chapter 7 it's not something a lot of people would consider but in Acts 7 there is the account that details

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Stephen who gave a great a Defense of the gospel he was before the council the

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Sanhedrin a council full of angry scribes and elders in Sadducees and Pharisees and you know how much pressure that would be if you're one man standing before this council

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But not in this case Not in this case. He knew the power of the Lord God Almighty Stephen stood up in foot in front of the whole

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Sanhedrin and he gave one of the most glorious accounts Read that to read

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Acts 7 Stephen's defense he goes through everything from Abraham to Moses from Moses to The time of David and Solomon and how they made the the temples and he all brings it back to Christ okay, and Then he rebukes them after this defense

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He rebukes all those in the council one man versus all the council and he says this you men who are stiff -necked and Uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the

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Holy Spirit You are doing just as your fathers did which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

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They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Messiah whose betrayers and murderers you have now become

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You who received the law as ordained by angels and yet did not keep it. That's what

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Stephen tells this council That's what he says. He stands up to them Through the power of the

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Lord, honestly, that's the only way as Stephen finishes The council is furious.

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It says they're gnashing their teeth at him. They're gnashing their teeth They're mad with Stephen what he said and he says he looks up and he saw the heavens open and he says he sees the glory of Jesus that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the

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Father and He says that and that just makes them all the more furious So they they drive

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Stephen out of the city and they pick up heavy stones and all of them start to stone Stephen to death and even as Stephen is being stoned to death

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He says Lord Jesus received my spirit and do not charge this sin For them do not charge them with this sin.

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He still has Consideration for those who are killing him. It's just amazing

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And so I think to myself do I have enough faith to die like this?

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Do you have enough faith to die? Do you have enough faith to die in a courageous way?

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If the time were to come would I be crippled by fear? I asked myself or would I remember who I stand for?

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And I can only pray that God would give us the grace to die. You hear of martyrs who have died these

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Insane deaths of being filleted alive and being burned up and and some of them are singing some of them have said that Even their burning bodies

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The smell turned sweet. It was like a fragrant aroma and they're singing hymns to the Lord and it's just incredible What some of these martyrs have gone through and I just pray for all of us

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Whatever it may be natural causes or or anything or if it were to ever come to what they're facing that we would die

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Righteously full of courage and faith Here's one more account that Probably doesn't seem so much like an act of courage to a lot of people, but it certainly is

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It's in Galatians chapter 2. Okay Paul is recounting the time he stood up to Peter Paul's recounting the time he stood up to Peter.

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He said but when Cephas came to Antioch, that's Peter I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned

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For prior to the coming of certain men from James. He used to eat with the Gentiles But when they came he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof

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Fearing the party of the circumcision the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy

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With the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy But when

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I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel I said to Cephas in the presence of all if you being a

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Jew live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews How is it that you compel the

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Gentiles to live like Jews? And so if you didn't get it Peter essentially is sitting at the lunch tables in the cafeteria with the

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Gentiles So to speak he's sitting with them as he's freely able to do we are the the divide is gone

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Right Jews and Gentiles. We are all one in Christ and he's sitting and eating lunch with Gentile believers and then from Jerusalem from the

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Church of Jerusalem comes Jewish Christians and as soon as they arrive Peter changes where he's sitting and where he's having lunch and he sits with the

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Jews and he continues to do that and Paul recognizes his hypocrisy in that And Paul calls him out on this and this would take a lot of courage in my opinion this really would to oppose a loved one a brother in Christ Or even as a pastor if as when pastors have to confront a fellow pastor, that is very difficult.

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That is hard It's hard to confront each other as believers You see on Wednesdays at the abortion mill when we're trying to get the gospel out and save babies

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And we're going back and forth with atheists and Satanists or Thursday nights calling challenging

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Mormons with the gospel all of that is honestly nothing To the times that I've had to sit down with a brother and oppose them in some sort of sin or error

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They've committed it is difficult But if you love them, you'll do it. If you love them, they'll do it.

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You'll do it and you'll do it You'll do it in gentleness and patience. Yes A merciless and in anger.

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No, that's not how we do it and So I pray that Paul's example with Peter would encourage us to do the right thing

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And so I'm going to conclude with hope we talked about Instruction we talked about perseverance.

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We talked about encouragement or courage. This is the last bit here I'm going to try to go quickly hope we're gonna finish up with hope

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What was written in earlier times was written so we might have hope in the

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Greek Elpida Looking forward to something with reason for confidence concerning fulfillment or expectation

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Hebrews 10 23, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful There are so many things for us in the

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Bible that give us hope from from the front To the very back. The Bible is a book that gives us hope no doubt

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But sir, here are some a few things to consider the proto evangelium the first Gospel according to Genesis 3 we covered this just a few weeks ago on our first sermon

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God says When he's delivering the curses He says to the woman I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed

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He shall crush you on the head. He says this to the serpent now

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He shall crush you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel The enemy will attempt to wound the

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Lord, but Christ will deliver to Satan the death blow Adam sinned

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He was our representative. We know that right as much as sin entered into the world through one man through another man grace abounded all the more although our representative

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Adam failed one is promised to come who won't fail and he didn't fail and That is a promise of hope brothers and sisters

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Even from the very beginning the candle of hope was lit and it's never been put out

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That Messiah did come Peter tells the Jews what God had done on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2

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Verse 22 through 24. It says men of Israel. Listen to these words

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Jesus the Nazarene a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs

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Which God performed through him in your midst just as you yourselves know this man delivered over by the predetermined plan in Foreknowledge of God you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death

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But God raised him up again Putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for him to be held in its power

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This provides so much. Hope my friends. This is our hope Peter makes it clear that Jesus was handed over by God's Predetermined plan there wasn't a plan a and now

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Jesus is the plan B Okay, Christ life death burial and resurrection have always been the plan

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He is the lamb slain before the foundations of the world and yet Peter says

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Christ was put to death by the hands of godless men in Being nailed to the cross this even points to Harkens our mind back to Genesis 50.

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Don't you think when? Joseph and his brothers Joseph says what you intended for evil

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God intended for good The one true victim sinless and blameless

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Jesus Christ is killed by men, but God had predetermined it from all eternity

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This gives great. Hope because we often think that what we perceive to be bad in our lives

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God can and often uses it for our good does he not Because as Romans 8 says

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God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes and The resurrection it says confirms

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The power of Christ he is who he says he is he has power over death in the grave if he can do that He can give us the hope of eternal life the final hope of the resurrection

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Finally revelation 21 3 through 7 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold the tabernacle

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Tabernacle of God is among men and he will dwell with them and among them and They shall be his people and God himself will be among them

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And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain

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The first things have passed away, and he who sits on the throne Jesus says behold

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I am making all things new and he said right for these words are faithful and true

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Then he said to me it is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end

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I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost

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He who overcomes will inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be my son

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But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and Sorcerers and idolaters and all liars their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone

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Which is the second death? so in that day at the consummation of all things we will rejoice of course in those who are saved and glorify

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God for his great mercy and This is hard to believe but the Bible displays that at that same day all creation and all people even will even rejoice and glorify

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God for his perfect justice and Execution of wrath upon the devil and his angels and even all the unbelieving of the world

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We have a hope that all suffering will end that even death itself will be defeated and thrown into that lake

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We have hope that Christ is making all things new and that includes us in that promise

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And at that point we will know in the fullest What is the breadth and length and height and depth of his love toward us in Christ?

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And if these things weren't written Where would we get our hope? If they weren't written, where would we get our hope

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God's Word is the source of instruction Perseverance encouragement and hope should we lack any of these we now remember where to turn?

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Because you know what faith requires knowledge How can we have faith in God if we don't know what he promised?

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We say we're we're lacking in faith, but a lot of times. It's because we lack knowledge of his word

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Hosea 4 6 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

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We need to be in his word The word is where we get this knowledge. The word is where we derive it and we build our faith

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We build our faith in Christ This is essentially Sola Scriptura applied.

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This is Sola Scriptura applied brothers and sisters So I hope that blesses you a lot of passages

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But it's good for us to remember what God has done from the beginning of creation until the end of Revelation and what we can expect and hope for to come at the

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Consummation of all things and what Christ is doing in the world today. So let's pray

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Father, I pray that you'd bless the message that went out Lord, please let it benefit your people

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Let it be a comfort to them Lord. Let it be encouragement and God help us to face all the things that are in our lives

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Lord Deriving from your word all that we need God to battle these things and to persevere and to find hope

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God so that if we have if we battle with depression or anxiety We have hope in Christ if we have lost our jobs or lost a family member.

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We have hope in the resurrection We have hope in Christ or let us look to these things and always remember what you have done